BBC Radio 6 Music host Lauren Laverne has announced the untimely death of her mother, Celia Gofton, and has understandably stepped away from covering this year’s Glastonbury for the network.
Laverne shared the news on Instagram today (June 25), writing: “Yesterday I lost my Mam, Celia. She was the kindest, most compassionate and most tenacious person I have ever met.”
Sharing more about Celia’s life, Laverne wrote: “She ran the only reggae club night in the NE and told me that being young in the ’60s felt like that line in Mr Tambourine Man ‘to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free’.”
Laverne went on to say that Celia was “looking forward” to watching Paul McCartney perform tonight at Glastonbury, referring him to “Paulie (as he was always known in our house – her favourite Beatle)”.
“She’d been a fan ever since she saw him at the Sunderland Empire in 1963 (and later met him later with me – he was just lovely to her),” Laverne recalled.
Laverne concluded the touching tribute by saying: “Mam, I love you forever. Thank you for my fantastic life. I have no idea what I’m going to do without you, but I’m going to try to make it interesting and you will be in my heart, always”.
Following her mother’s passing, Laverne has reportedly stepped away from covering Glastonbury for the BBC. Metro reports that Jo Whiley, Cerys Matthews and Jack Saunders will instead lead the festival’s coverage.