Theo Burrell, a specialist on the BBC's "Antiques Roadshow," has died at the age of 39 following a four-year battle with brain cancer, her family announced.
Burrell's family shared the news of her passing in a statement on her Instagram account on Sunday, noting that she died peacefully surrounded by family. "Neither she nor her medical team foresaw this happening quite so quickly," the statement read.
Burrell was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in June 2022. Doctors had initially given her a prognosis of 12 to 18 months to live. Over the course of her illness, she underwent brain surgery and 17 rounds of chemotherapy.
The family statement honored Burrell as an "incredible person who fought hard for her family, friends and raising awareness of this cruel disease." They added that she was able to witness significant life events, such as her son's first day at school and her wedding, which they had not expected her to see given her prognosis.
Burrell married her husband, Alex, on March 28. The couple welcomed their son, Jonah, in 2020.
During her fight with cancer, Burrell became an advocate for cancer research and awareness. In May, she partnered with the Department of Health and Social Care, appearing in a video to campaign for increased funding for cancer research.
"I am running out of treatment options and I will lose my life to this cancer," Burrell stated at the time. "There’s absolutely no doubt about it. Things may be too late for me, but I definitely can make peace with that if I know that the situation’s gonna be better for future patients."
Burrell began her role as a specialist on "Antiques Roadshow" in 2018. She was a ceramics and glass expert with Lyon & Turnbull auctioneers in Edinburgh since 2011.