Top Gear: Sue Baker, who presented motoring show for 11 years, dies

Sue Baker, 1 of the aboriginal presenters connected long-running BBC motoring amusement Top Gear, has died astatine the property of 75.

The presenter and journalist, who had centrifugal neurone illness (MND), died connected Monday, her household said.

Baker joined Top Gear successful 1980, 3 years aft its launch, and appeared successful much than 100 episodes.

She near successful 1991, going connected to acceptable up the Motor Racing News Service based astatine the Brands Hatch contention track. She was besides the Observer's motoring editor.

A connection issued by her household connected Monday said: "It is with large sadness that we stock the quality of Sue's passing. A doting parent to Ian and Hannah, a loving grandma to Tom and George, and a fantastic mother-in-law to Lucy. She passed astatine location this greeting with household astir her.

"She was a talented and prolific writer, a charismatic TV presenter, and a passionate carnal lover. She had a beingness and vocation that galore would envy, but did it each with specified grace that she was admired and respected by each who knew her. We cognize she meant truthful overmuch to truthful many.

"Thank you to everyone who has supported her implicit the past fewer years arsenic she battled with MND."

As 1 of the archetypal women to contiguous connected Top Gear, pursuing successful the footsteps of the likes of Angela Rippon and Judith Jackson, Baker was considered a pioneer successful her field.

"The full Top Gear squad are precise saddened to perceive astir Sue," a connection from the programme said.

"She was an exceptional motoring writer and a much-loved erstwhile presenter of the show. Our thoughts are with Sue's household and friends astatine this time."

Motoring exertion and columnist Geraldine Herbert posted: "She was a fantastic person, a superb journalist, and a beloved friend... she blazed a way for women successful a man's world."

The Guild of Motoring Writers, of which Baker was the vice-president and a erstwhile chair, said: "Sue was a pioneer for women successful automotive journalism."

Fellow car adept and writer Giles Chapman tweeted that Baker "should beryllium hailed arsenic a feminist icon", arsenic she was "the archetypal pistillate to go a Fleet Street pro successful car journalism".

Baker's household said they would stock details of "how we volition laic her to remainder and observe her beingness and each her singular achievements successful the coming days".