Alison Chapman (formerly Booker; 23 June 1963 – 1 July 2010) was a presenter and newsreader at

106 Jack FM (Oxfordshire) JACK FM is an adult hits format radio station that broadcasts on 106.8 MHz FM in Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, and on DAB in Oxfordshire. Between 2016 and 2017 it also broadcast in Surrey and parts of Hampshire. The station shar ...

and

BBC Oxford BBC Oxford is the name given to the sub-opt out region serving Oxford and the surrounding areas. Its services include: * BBC Oxford News, the local news service called BBC Oxford on screen * BBC Radio Oxford, the local radio station occasionally br ...

. She was born in

Exeter, England Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

and educated at

Blundell's School Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school in the English public school tradition, located in Tiverton, Devon. It was founded in 1604 under the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the t ...

. She fell in love with radio at

Exeter University , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public ...

, presenting on the uni's own station URE. She claimed her entire career had been an accident (having studied French and Philosophy) as it was the DJ on URE she fancied first, not the show. Her first job with the BBC was with the now-defunct BBC Dorset FM, which is now part of

BBC Radio Solent BBC Radio Solent is the BBC's local radio station serving Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on Havelock Road in Southampton. According to RAJAR, the station has a ...

. When her first husband moved the family to Oxfordshire, she talked her way into BBC Radio Oxfor
BBC Radio Oxford
where she worked for more than a decade. Alison had two children by her first husband, David Booker; Joanne and Douglas Booker. She made a life and a home in

Wantage Wantage () is a historic market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. Although within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic county of Berkshire, it has been administered as part of the V ...

, Oxfordshire where the children attended the local schools and continue to live. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. After a double mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy she returned to her Afternoon Show on

BBC Radio Oxford BBC Radio Oxford is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Oxfordshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios in the Summertown area of Oxford. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audien ...

. She tackled it with her usual sense of humour, once joking to a doctor who needed to examine her that she didn't take her clothes off for anything less than a couple of really good meals and a bunch of flowers. Her breast cancer returned in February 2006, having metastasized to her lungs. She married her partner of five years, Andrew Chapman, in May 2006 after proposing to him on air on Children in Need day in 2005. She retired from the BBC in January 2007. After a year at home, and bored with just waiting to die, she accidentally got freelance work at the then recently launched 106 Jack FM. She went full-time in September 2008. In 2009, she started documenting her life with cancer via audio diaries which were broadcast o
106 Jack FM (Oxfordshire)
In May 2010, she was awarded the Silver Sony award. A few weeks later the diaries won Ali commercial radio's top award – a Radio Academy Gold Arqiva. Her diaries were featured in The Sunday Times on 27.6.2010 and The Independent on 1.7.2010. MP

Ed Vaizey Edward Henry Butler Vaizey, Baron Vaizey of Didcot, (born 5 June 1968) is a British politician, media columnist, political commentator and barrister who was Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries from 2010 to 2016. A memb ...

also paid tribute to Ali in the House of Commons on 24.6.2010. Her diaries are available in iTunes or via Podomatic (se
AlisDiaries
.

Death

Alison Booker Chapman died on 1 July 2010, of breast cancer, aged 47, at Sobell House Hospice in Oxfordshire. On 24 September, her ''Cancer Diaries'' was awarded the Silver World Medal at The New York Festival Radio Awards in the Social Issues/Current Events Category.BBC Obituary
bbc.co.uk; accessed 17 July 2015.

References

Links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Booker, Alison 1963 births 2010 deaths Alumni of the University of Exeter BBC people English radio personalities People educated at Blundell's School Mass media people from Exeter People from Wantage Deaths from breast cancer Deaths from cancer in England