Antiques Roadshow Expert Theo Burrell Dies at 39 After Years of Cancer Battle

Theo Burrell was 35-years-old when doctors diagnosed her with a brain tumor in 2022.

Published: 7/14/2026, 9:21:25 AM EDT

Antiques Roadshow Expert Theo Burrell Dies at 39 After Years of Cancer Battle — An emergency sign at a hospital in a file photo. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Theo Burrell, the ceramics and glass specialist who became widely recognized as an expert on the long-running British television program "Antiques Roadshow," died on Wednesday at the age of 39 after a years-long battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Her passing came just months after she married her long-term partner, Alex, in March of this year—a milestone that, at the time of her 2022 diagnosis, her family feared she might never reach, her family said in a memorial post on Burrell's official Instagram account.

"It is with great sadness that I share the news that Theo passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday afternoon," the family wrote. "Neither she nor her medical team foresaw this happening quite so quickly."

Burrell was 35-years-old when doctors diagnosed her with a brain tumor in 2022. She went on to endure brain surgery and 17 rounds of chemotherapy as part of her treatment, the U.K. Department of Health and Social Care said in a March video on Instagram. Despite those grueling interventions, her cancer ultimately recurred, requiring additional surgery and further chemotherapy rounds, Brain Tumour Research said in a press release on Sunday announcing her death.

Beyond her medical fight, Burrell channeled her experience into public advocacy. In 2023, she became a patron of Brain Tumour Research and played a central role in launching the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence—a collaborative facility bringing together the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, Brain Tumour Research, and the Beatson Cancer Charity to advance new glioblastoma treatment options and move them toward clinical trials.

Her activism extended to the halls of government. In March 2026, Burrell joined then-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, for a tour of the Scottish Centre, and days later appeared at Holyrood to support the launch of Brain Tumour Research's Manifesto for Scotland. That same month, she participated in a video for the Department of Health and Social Care in which she spoke candidly about the state of her illness and her determination to push for better outcomes for future patients.

"I am running out of treatment options and I will lose my life to this cancer," Burrell said in that video. "There's absolutely no doubt about it."

She added: "Things may be too late for me, but I definitely can make peace with that if I know that the situation's gonna be better for future patients."

Professionally, Burrell had built a respected career in the fine arts world. She joined Lyon & Turnbull auctioneers in Edinburgh as a ceramics and glass expert in 2011 and began appearing as a specialist on "Antiques Roadshow" in 2018.

“She generously gave her time to mentor and encourage many young people with an interest in the field, sharing the knowledge she had gained through experience … She never stopped learning and delighted in sharing that passion with others,” Lyon & Turnbull auctioneers said in its own tribute to Burrell.

Brain Tumour Research CEO Dan Knowles also paid tribute through his company’s own announcement.

“She was always very open about her prognosis and knew from the outset her cancer was terminal, but she was absolutely determined to make a difference for others. She constantly inspired us with how big her heart was and we will continue on our mission, driven by everything she taught us."

In addition to her husband Alex, Burrell is survived by the couple's young son, her parents Ian and Marion, and her brother Tom.