Trailblazer and iconic ITV weather presenter Wincey Willis dead aged 76

She was a hugely popular figure

Willis was a hugely popular figure on British screens, becoming ITV's first female weather presenter after joining Good Morning Britain in 1983.

She was praised for bringing a fresh and animated take to weather forecasts, helping to revolutionise the more sombre presentation that preceded her.

Originally named Florence Winsome Leighton, Willis was born in Gateshead, Co Durham in 1948 and would later be adopted.

She died on December 18 after a battle with dementia, however, the news was only made public yesterday afternoon (18 June).

Her nickname 'Wincey stemmed from her middle name after classmates at Hartlepool primary school sang Incy Wincy Spider.

Famously she told the Liverpool Echo: "Most people don't want to know about high pressure over the Azores.

"All they care about is whether they need their umbrella."

Willis was part of a team that helped ITV's Good Morning Britain overtake BBC's Breakfast Time in viewing figures, even occasionally teaming up with the rodent puppet Roland Rat from time to time.

Willis helped pave a way for other female weather presenters like Trish Williamson and Ulrika Jonsson, who also expanded into other areas of television.

She moved to France after turning 16 where she completed her baccalauréat (French A-level equivalent) before enrolling at Strasbourg University.

After returning to the UK in 1975 she started working behind the scenes at Radio Tees.

She then moved into TV after being invited to audition for a weather presenter role for Tyne Tees regional TV and a year later got her own show on Granada called Wincey's Pets.

The rest, they say, is history.

Willis would go on to feature in the game show Treasure Hunt before slowly disappearing from screens after a contract dispute in 1987.

In the following years, she dedicated her time as a conservation volunteer aiding endangered species globally.