Susanna Reid has confirmed the death of her friend Suki Thompson, weeks after she made an appearance on Good Morning Britain.
Last month, Suki appeared on the ITV morning news programme to open about her melanoma diagnosis, which is a form of skin cancer.
The 56-year-old – who informed viewers at the time that she might have days to live – was praised by the broadcaster at the time for her ‘resilience’ and her ‘endless and inspiring positivity’ as she raised awareness for the condition, promoted fundraising efforts and urged members of the public to wear SPF.
In a post shared on Instagram on Wednesday August 15, Susanna, 52, paid tribute to her late friend after her death, sharing a picture from the celebration of her life that took place in her honour.
‘🤍 Our beautiful friend Suki Thompson 🤍 The embodiment of strength & optimism 🤍 A passion for living life to the fullest 🤍 Go well lovely 🤍,’ she wrote in the caption.
Several people commented on Susanna’s Instagram post offering their condolences, with TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher writing: ‘Gosh how sad. So sorry ❤️.’
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GMB’s Charlotte Hawkins wrote: ‘Oh no, so sad she’s gone. Sorry for you Susanna, Suki was such a special person. Sending much love ❤️.’
Presenter Julia Bradbury added: ‘So sad. Biggest hug to you beautiful one. ❤️.’
A post was shared on Suki’s Instagram account following her death, where her loved ones said that she ‘died peacefully’ while ‘surrounded’ by her family.
‘Suki was human sunshine, an incredible Entrepreneur, an inspiration to all, but most importantly, she was our Mum,’ the tribute read.
‘She remained so positive throughout her journey and showed us the way. Every day was truly a gift (it wasn’t just for her Instagram), she cherished each moment she had left. Her friends and work family were incredibly important to her and we are all so grateful for the support and care we have received.’
Suki’s family celebrated the incredible amount of money that she was able to raise in the final seven weeks of her life, raising £172,000, which they said will ‘make a massive different to those still living with cancer and represents everything Mumma wanted’.
During her GMB appearance on July 19, Susanna told her that it’s been a ‘privilege’ to know and be friends with her.
‘Lorraine described you as brave, bold and beautiful. What’s incredible is you are using these precious moments to spread a really important message. You don’t want other people to put themselves at risk,’ the presenter continued.
Suki then replied: ‘I am so inspired by having a friend like you Susanna.
‘It’s a gift to be with my daughter today, and to chat with you and the viewers.’
The JustGiving page for Macmillan Cancer Support set up in Suki’s honour remains open and is still receiving donations to raise awareness of melanoma. To visit the page, click here.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
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