Television producer and director Nicky Illis, known for her work on BBC programs such as Antiques Roadshow and Fake or Fortune, has passed away at the age of 53 after battling cancer.
Illis kickstarted her career on The Late Show during the 1990s, quickly progressing to directing history documentaries like One Foot In The Past and The House Detectives by her early twenties.
Throughout the noughties, Illis crafted numerous arts-focused films for BBC1’s Omnibus. Notable among these was a piece exploring the Harry Potter phenomenon, coinciding with the release of the franchise’s first film in 2001.
Additionally, she delved into the enduring allure of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby in another episode.
In 2009, Illis relocated to Bristol, where she took on the role of director for Antiques Roadshow. This experience served as the catalyst for her inspiration behind Fake or Fortune, an investigative arts show.
The inaugural episode aired in 2011, marking the beginning of Illis’s journey as both producer and director for Fake or Fortune.
Over the years, she helmed numerous episodes delving into the lives and works of renowned artists such as Turner, Constable, Henry Moore, and Ben Nicholson.
Notably, her episode focusing on Turner resulted in the reinstatement of several of his paintings in the National Museum of Wales.
BBC colleague Fiona Bruce commemorated the director’s ‘irreplaceable talent’ in an obituary crafted by BBC Studios, featured in Broadcast Now. Bruce reflected, ‘Nicky is simply irreplaceable.
Not just for her huge talent but also for her sheer exuberance, enthusiasm, and sense of fun. Everyone on the team loved her, and none more than me.
Robert Murphy, the series editor for Fake or Fortune, expressed,
‘We were partners in art crime, united by our shared love of art, storytelling, and the twists and turns of this addictive show.’
‘She was someone I respected immensely, not just as a director and peer but as an all-round good person, so kind and considerate, with a famous sense of humour.
‘I can picture her coming into the office, coffee in one robehand, a bag slung over her arm bulging with art books, ready to solve another mystery.
‘It’s quieter now and we’ve lost a precious font of knowledge, a trailblazer and a great friend. She will be very much missed.’
Illis is survived by her husband Seb and their children Luke and Eliza.
