Dan Walker has told of his hope that Nicola Bulley's family will be given time to grieve after police found the mum-of-two's body 23 days after her disappearance.
The 45-year-old mortgage adviser vanished in St Michael's on Wyre while walking her dog after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school on January 27.
Lancashire Police recovered her body in the river on Sunday morning, less than a mile downstream from where she was last seen, following a tip-off from two walkers.
The search for Ms Bulley has captivated the entire nation, and attracted widespread speculation as well as criticism of the police response.
The force poured a huge amount of time and resources into their investigation, which has seen nearly 40 detectives sifting through hundreds of hours of CCTV, dashcam footage and tip-offs from the public.
Channel 5 News host Dan Walker sat down with her partner Paul Ansell earlier this month as the search continued for his beloved Nicola.
The 75-minute special programme 'Vanished: Where is Nicola Bulley ?' aired on Channel 5 on Friday, February 10.
But as the search for her drew to a close, after Ms Bulley's family and friends made a "final push" to find the mum-of-two by launching their 'Bring Nikki Home' campaign, and giving numerous TV interviews as they clung to the hope that she could still be found alive, the worst outcome was announced by police.
TV news presenter Dan, who had followed the case closely from the start, took to his Twitter to express his sadness as events unfolded and police held a press conference today.
The 45-year-old news anchor wrote: “Feel so sad for Nicola Bulley ’s family and friends as the body in the river is confirmed as hers. It must have been an awful last few weeks for them all. I hope they are now able to get the time to grieve.”
Dan, who only today told how he was knocked out for 20 minutes after being hit by a car while cycling , echoed the sentiment of those around the country who have followed the case since Nicola’s disappearance.
Ms Bulley, a mortgage broker, leaves behind her two daughters Harriet, 9, and Sophia, 6, partner Paul Ansell , 44, sister Louise Cunningham, and parents Ernie and Dot Bulley.
Lancashire Police said Nicola's family is devastated after receiving confirmation that she has sadly died.
The police force said the case is now being handled by HM Coroner.
Lancashire Constabulary said: "Sadly, we are now able to confirm that yesterday we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre.
"Nicola's family have been informed and are of course devastated. Our thoughts are with them at this time as well as with all her loved ones and the wider community.
"We recognise the huge impact that Nicola’s disappearance has had on her family and friends, but also on the people of St Michael's. We would like to thank all of those who have helped during what has been a hugely complex and highly emotional investigation.
"Today's development is not the outcome any of us would have wanted, but we hope that it can at least start to provide some answers for Nicola's loved ones, who remain foremost in our thoughts.
"The case is now being handled by HM Coroner."
