Sue Baker, a pioneering presenter of the venerable BBC automobile program Top Gear, passed away at the age of 75. The journalist and presenter, who suffered from motor neuron disease (MND), passed away on Monday, according to her family.
Three years after Top Gear’s debut, in 1980, Baker joined the show and appeared in more than 100 episodes.
She started the Motor Racing News Service, which is situated at the Brands Hatch race track, after leaving in 1991. She was also the motoring editor for the Observer.
Her family released a statement on Monday, which read: “We share the news of Sue’s passing with a heavy heart. a lovely mother-in-law to Lucy, a devoted grandma to Tom and George, and a devoted mother to Ian and Hannah. She went away this morning at home, surrounded by her loved ones.
“Baker was an accomplished and prolific writer, an engaging TV host, and a fervent animal lover. She led a life and a career that many people would find admirable, but she handled everything with such grace that everyone she knew adored and respected her. We are aware of how much she meant to so many.
Thank you to everyone who helped her during her fight against MND over the past few years.
Women’s Rights icon
Baker was regarded as a trailblazer in her area because she was one of the first women to host Top Gear, joining women like Angela Rippon and Judith Jackson.
According to a statement from the show, “the entire Top Gear team is deeply grieved to hear about Sue.”
“She was a renowned automotive journalist and a beloved former host of the program. At this time, our thoughts are with Sue’s family and friends.”
She was a beautiful person, a skilled journalist, and a good friend. She forged a route for women in a man’s field, said motoring editor and columnist Geraldine Herbert.
“Sue was a pioneer for women in automotive journalism,” the Guild of Motoring Writers, of which Baker was vice-president and a previous chair, said of her.
As the “first woman to become a Fleet Street pro in vehicle writing,” Baker “should be honored as a feminist icon,” according to fellow automotive specialist and writer Giles Chapman.
The family of Baker stated that they would reveal specifics of “how we will bury her and celebrate her life and all her great accomplishments in the coming days.”
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