After battling dementia, Wincey Willis, the beloved weather presenter best known for her vibrant jumpers and effervescent charm on breakfast television, tragically passed away at the age of 76.
With the arrival of TV icon Greg Dyke in 1983, Willis became the first woman to present national weather on ITV. In a time when forecasts were dominated by more depressing presentations, the chipper 34-year-old provided a fresh, animated take on the subject.
According to the Liverpool Echo, “the majority of people don’t want to know about high pressure over the Azores.” They don’t care whether they need their umbrellas at all.
The dynamic cast that included Willis, the ever-beaming Anne Diamond, Rustie Lee, her culinary corner, and “Mad Lizzie” Webb’s fitness feature led to Good Morning Britain surpassing BBC’s Breakfast Time in viewership figures. As her presenting responsibilities expanded, Willis, a lover of animals, occasionally collaborated with the infamous rodent puppet sensation Roland Rat.
Her ground-breaking efforts helped later female weather presenters like Trish Williamson and Ulrika Jonsson, who later branched out into television.
Willis was born in Gateshead, Co Durham, in 1948, and was later adopted by Florence and Thomas Dimmock. Her eccentric moniker, “Wincey,” was inspired by her middle name, Incy Wincy Spider, which students at her Hartlepool primary school sang.
Willis left school when she was 16 years old, traveling to France to earn her baccalauréat before enrolling at Strasbourg University. In 1975, she made a second career in the northeast, landing a behind-the-scenes job at Radio Tees in Stockton-on-Tees.
She accepted a position as weather presenter for Tyne Tees regional TV, and she soon found herself working in television, producing her own series, Wincey’s Pets.
She appeared on the game show Treasure Hunt alongside Anneka Rice at the height of her career in the middle of the 1980s. In 1987, Willis’ contract dispute caused her to resign from TV-am, which brought her television career to a halt.
She spent her time helping endangered species around the world as a conservation volunteer in the years that followed. Additionally, Wincey co-hosted radio programs for BBC Hereford &, Worcester and BBC Coventry &, Warwickshire.
In 1972, she wed Malcolm Willis, and they divorced. Willis has recently battled dementia.
This week, her passing on December 18th, 2012, was made public.
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