William Robert Jolyon Turnbull was a television and radio presenter and journalist whose broadcasting career spanned over 4 decades.
29 Facts About Bill Turnbull
Bill Turnbull began his career working for some radio stations including Radio Clyde and BBC Radio 4's Today.
Bill Turnbull presented BBC News 24 and BBC Radio 5 Live before taking on his most notable role as one of the main presenters of BBC Breakfast, a position he held for 15 years between 2001 and 2016.
Bill Turnbull was born in Guildford, Surrey, on 25 January 1956, the youngest of four siblings to William, a barrister of Scottish ancestry who worked in the City of London and Honor, a teacher.
Bill Turnbull was educated at Eton College and the University of Edinburgh, where he edited the student newspaper.
Bill Turnbull's career began at Scottish local station Radio Clyde in 1978; he later freelanced for a number of years in the US.
Bill Turnbull joined the BBC as a reporter for the Today programme in 1986 and Breakfast Time as a reporter in 1988, before becoming a correspondent for BBC News in 1990.
Bill Turnbull covered a wide range of domestic and international stories, reporting from more than 30 countries, including a four-year stint as Washington Correspondent, based in the US.
In 1997, Bill Turnbull moved back to the UK and became one of the main presenters on BBC News 24, appearing alongside Valerie Sanderson.
Bill Turnbull presented regular programmes on Radio 5 Live, including a stint as a presenter on Weekend Breakfast.
Bill Turnbull joined the BBC Breakfast team in 2001 as a weekend presenter, presenting with Sian Williams initially and then later with Sarah Montague, Mishal Husain and Susanna Reid.
Bill Turnbull regularly appeared as a relief presenter on the weekday programme, with Sophie Raworth, Natasha Kaplinsky, Kate Silverton and Louise Minchin.
Bill Turnbull became the main weekday presenter of Breakfast in 2008, rejoining Williams and replacing Dermot Murnaghan.
Bill Turnbull was an occasional relief presenter of News at Six and News at One.
Bill Turnbull fronted the programme's coverage of the 2008 US presidential election live from Washington, DC and New York, and was in Washington for the 2012 US presidential election.
Bill Turnbull joined the presenting team of the BBC's Songs of Praise in 2013.
Bill Turnbull presented his last episode, with Louise Minchin, on 26 February 2016.
In July 2016, Bill Turnbull narrated another CBBC mockumentary comedy series based on Paignton Zoo called The Zoo, broadcast on CBBC in 2017.
Bill Turnbull was guest presenter of three episodes of The One Show during 2016, alongside Alex Jones.
In November 2006, he appeared alongside fellow BBC News presenters in a performance for Children in Need that Jan Moir, writing for The Telegraph, described as "charisma-free", adding that although Bill Turnbull dressed up like James Bond, he looked like a "dodgy sommelier".
Bill Turnbull appeared in an episode of the game show School's Out broadcast on BBC One on 11 August 2007.
On 28 October 2007, Bill Turnbull made a guest appearance on the children's television show SMart.
On 24,25, and 26 February 2020, Bill Turnbull presented Good Morning Britain with Susanna Reid.
Bill Turnbull later returned to the programme in May 2021.
Bill Turnbull married Sarah McCombie in March 1988 in the London Borough of Hackney.
Bill Turnbull was a fan of Wycombe Wanderers FC, for which he commentated on home games for online listeners.
On 8 September 2009, Bill Turnbull was awarded an honorary doctorate from Buckinghamshire New University in recognition of his charity work within the Buckinghamshire community.
In March 2018, Bill Turnbull revealed he had been diagnosed the previous November with prostate cancer.
Bill Turnbull died at his home in Suffolk, on 31 August 2022, at the age of 66.