Television presenter Magenta Devine, best known for her reportage and travel shows for the BBC and ITV, has died at the age of 61.
The broadcaster, rarely seen without her trademark black sunglasses, died on Wednesday morning at a hospital in London while undergoing treatment following a short illness.
Her family said she was “deeply loved for her extraordinary kindness and generosity”.
Ms Devine was “a talented writer and stylish on-screen presence who was greatly admired by her many friends and colleagues for her creativity and wit”, the family statement added.
Born in Hemel Hempstead in 1957, Ms Devine first became a star in the 1980s on Channel 4’s short-lived but memorable cult youth show Network 7.
She then went on to host the BBC’s innovative factual show Reportage and the Rough Guides travel series.
The travel series was originally broadcast as part of Janet Street-Porter’s DEF II slot on BBC Two.
Her other TV credits included presenting ITV documentary series Young, Gifted and Broke, and the On Screen cinema review programme on the BBC’s World Service Radio network.
She also found work as a voiceover artist, appearing in a number of TV adverts and on a number of radio programmes, including the BBC’s Cult Heroes: Marc Bolan programme.
During her career, Ms Devine also wrote articles and opinion pieces on travel, media and popular culture for a number of newspapers.
Additional reporting by PA
