Lauren Laverne has said she is “utterly heartbroken” as she announced the death of her mother, Celia.
The BBC presenter revealed on Instagram that her mother had died on Friday (24 June), describing her as “the kindest, most compassionate and most tenacious person I have ever met”.
Laverne had been hosting Glastonbury coverage for the BBC this weekend.
As part of an extended tribute post, she wrote: “Yesterday I lost my Mam, Celia. She was the kindest, most compassionate and most tenacious person I have ever met. Born in the middle of nine kids, she was a master peacemaker and persuader.
“She ran the only reggae club night in the NE and told me that being young in the 60s felt like that line in ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ ‘to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free’. She worked as a seamstress and a casino dancer (also making costumes for the troupe) to pay her way through college and became a wonderful teacher, eventually managing all Sunderland’s colleges.”
Laverne continued: “Somewhere along the line she had me and my brother and got political (she once chased someone from the BNP down our garden path with a rolling pin in one hand and me in the other arm) protested at Greenham Common and eventually became a city councillor.”
She added that her mother had “loved children” and was a “devoted and adored” mother and grandmother.
“But she also knew that mother is a verb as well as a noun and mothered so many others along the way who needed love and support throughout her life,” she said. “Thank you to them for everything.
“We are all utterly heartbroken to lose her. She had just given the kids their Glastonbury spending money and was looking forward to watching Paulie (as he was always known in our house – her favourite Beatle) tonight.
“She’d been a fan ever since she saw him at the Sunderland Empire in 1963 (and later met him later with me – he was just lovely to her).”
She then finished her post with words of gratitude for her mother.
“Mam, I love you forever. Thank you for my fantastic life,” she wrote. “I have no idea what I’m going to do without you, but I’m going to try to make it interesting and you will be in my heart, always.”
