Antiques Roadshow expert Theo Burrell has died at the age of 39, following a brain cancer diagnosis in 2022. Her husband Alex confirmed the news on social media, saying she passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement, Alex wrote: ‘It is with great sadness that I share the news that Theo passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday afternoon. Neither she nor her medical team foresaw this happening quite so quickly. She was an incredible person who fought hard for her family, friends and raising awareness of this cruel disease.’
Burrell was diagnosed with a glioblastoma – a type of brain tumour – in 2022 after experiencing severe migraines. She was initially told she had three months to live, but underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, achieving a stable condition. However, in October 2024, she announced the tumour had begun to grow again.
She married Alex in March this year at an intimate ceremony in Edinburgh, and saw her son’s first day at school – events she had feared she would never witness. Burrell was a specialist at auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull and joined Antiques Roadshow in 2018.
Dan Knowles, CEO of Brain Tumour Research, of which Burrell was a patron, paid tribute: ‘We are heartbroken that we have lost the phenomenal, determined and truly inspiring Theo Burrell to this devastating disease. She constantly inspired us with how big her heart was.’
