The beloved weather presenter has died at 76 after a battle with dementia
Wincey Willis(Image: Unknown)
Wincey Willis, the first female weather presenter for ITV, has died at the age of 76.
Willis, known for her brightly-coloured jumpers and sunny charm when presenting the weather, died after suffering with dementia.
She made history when she became the first female national weather presented, joining Good Morning Britain in 1983, the Mirror reports.
Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE
Aged 34 when she got the job, Willis brought a more energetic approach to the weather when readings were often dominated by a more straight-laced approach to the forecast.
“Most people don’t want to know about high pressure over the Azores,” she told the Liverpool Echo. “All they care about is whether they need their umbrella.”
Willis died on December 18 2024, but her death was only publicly announced this week.
Wincey Willis(Image: Unknown)
The energetic ensemble of Willis, the ever-beaming Anne Diamond, Rustie Lee with her culinary corner, and “Mad Lizzie” Webb’s fitness feature propelled Good Morning Britain past BBC’s Breakfast Time in viewership figures. A lover of animals, Willis even occasionally teamed up with the notorious rodent puppet sensation, Roland Rat, as her presenting responsibilities flourished.
Her pioneering efforts opened doors for subsequent female weather presenters like Trish Williamson and Ulrika Jonsson, who also expanded into other areas of television.
Originally named Florence Winsome Leighton, Willis was born in Gateshead, Co Durham, in 1948 before being adopted by Florence and Thomas Dimmock. Her quirky moniker ‘Wincey’ found its genesis from her middle name after classmates at her Hartlepool primary school sang Incy Wincy Spider.
Wincey Willis(Image: Unknown)
Willis departed school at the age of 16, journeying to France where she successfully completed her baccalauréat before enrolling at Strasbourg University. She returned to the northeast in 1975, securing a behind-the-scenes role at Radio Tees in Stockton-on-Tees.
She transitioned into television when she was invited to audition for the position of weather presenter for Tyne Tees regional TV and a year later, she was awarded her own series on Granada titled Wincey’s Pets.
At the pinnacle of her career, during the mid-80s, she featured on the game show Treasure Hunt alongside Anneka Rice. A contract dispute led Willis to resign from TV-am in 1987, after which her television career largely came to a halt.
In the following years, she dedicated her time as a conservation volunteer aiding endangered species globally. Wincey also hosted radio shows for BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and for BBC Hereford & Worcester.
Her marriage to Malcolm Willis in 1972 ended in divorce. In recent years, Willis battled with dementia.
