Lauren Laverne pulls out of Glastonbury coverage following death of mother
Lauren Laverne is mourning the loss of her mother Celia.
The BBC Radio 6 Music DJ has paid a touching tribute to her parent, who passed away on Friday (24.06.22), and will no longer be covering Glastonbury for the BBC following the "heartbreaking" loss.
The 44-year-old presenter began a lengthy Instagram post: "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 passed her 11+ and went to grammar school which changed our family’s direction forever. Met my Dad at 16 and loved him every day of her life. 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."
Lauren revealed her mother was looking forward to see Sir Paul McCartney - who she nicknamed Paulie - headline the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm on Saturday night (25.06.22), as a lifelong fan who met the 80-year-old former Beatle with her broadcaster daughter.
She added: "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). Mam, I love you forever. Thank you for my fantastic life. 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 XXX."
BBC Radio 1's Jack Saunders stepped in to host yesterday's (24.06.22) coverage with BBC radio veteran Jo Whiley in the place of Lauren.
