Beloved News Anchor Passes Away At 61

Beloved news anchor Beverly Thomson, the veteran Canadian journalist known for drawing admissions and secrets out of the world’s biggest personalities for decades, succumbed to her battle with cancer this week, her family announced.

She was 61.

Thomson had lived with her worsening cancer diagnosis for 23 years. She died on Sunday surrounded by her family and friends, CTV News confirmed. She is survived by her husband, Rob, and two children, Taylor and Robbie.

Following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2002, Thomson became an outspoken advocate for women struggling with a disease that affects one in three at some point in their lives. She organized fundraisers, including live telethons, and raised awareness about how the public could contribute to finding a cure.

Canada’s tight-knit broadcasting circles counted Thomson as a colleague for more than 30 years, a period during which she became one of the most recognizable news anchors in the country. She regularly drew thousands of viewers after nabbing exclusive sit-downs with politicians, celebrities, and other public figures.

Her respectful and curious demeanor convinced Celine Dion, Shania Twain, and even then-candidate Donald Trump to sit face-to-face with Thomson over the years.

“Bev Thomson was a trusted voice to Canadians and a valued teammate to all of us at CTV News,” said Richard Gray, vice-president of news at Bell Media, the company that owns CTV.

Born April 15, 1964, Thomson became synonymous with “Canada AM,” CTV’s morning radio show that she hosted from 2003 up until the show’s conclusion in 2016.

In 2024, she received the Radio Television Digital News Association of Canada for her outstanding career and achievements. She was awarded the Order of Canada, a highly esteemed honor bestowed upon only 83 Canadian citizens, for her contributions to journalism and her advocacy for breast cancer awareness.

She began her career as an intrepid metro news chaser in Newmarket, Ontario, just north of Toronto.

“I thought I’d hit the big time,” she recalled during a 2015 TEDx talk at Queens University.

“It was at a small strip mall, underneath a laundromat, [the radio station] was not very good, and that was great because I was terrible. I don’t think anyone was listening. That’s not true, my dad was the lone listener,” she joked.

She moved to a slightly larger Toronto station before landing her first on-air role at CTV. Her first big break there came when the station’s producer told her that she had to unexpectedly fill in for a news anchor who called in sick.

“Our anchor didn’t show up, we need you now,” she recalled about her first on-air assignment.

“In those days, the newscast didn’t start until 6:30. It was 6:21 pm.”

Thomson “could scrap with politicians and give as good as she got,” Gray’s statement to the Daily Mail continued.

“She fought (cancer) so hard, chin up. On tough mornings back then, we’d always ask her what we could do, but we always knew the answer: get on with the job. So we did. We always carried each other.”