Nan Winton, BBC’s first female TV newsreader dies

The first female to read the news on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), has died at the age of 93.

The broadcaster, Nancy ‘Nan Winton’ Wigginton, was taken to the hospital on May 8 following a fall at her home in Bridport, Dorset. Her condition worsened and she passed away at Dorchester County Hospital on Saturday, May 11.

An inquest into her death was opened and closed at the coroner’s court in Bournemouth on Thursday.

Winton who started reading the 6pm news in 1960 also read the weekly news bulletins on a Sunday evening.

She also worked as a BBC TV continuity announcer and her other work included Panorama and Town and Around, a nightly magazine show.

After stepping down from reading the news, Winton remained a television and news reporter. She was also a regular panelist on the radio panel game show Treble Chance.

According to Dailymail, on the day Winton was taken to hospital, aged 93, it was found she had fractured her femur. Surgery was carried out the next day.  She later suffered failure of the heart, respiratory system and kidneys. She was taken to critical care, but died in the ward.

A cause of death was given as congestive heart failure, hypertension and frailty of old age. A full inquest is scheduled to take place on January 29 next year.