Italian news presenter holds back tears as she announces Berlusconi’s death

An Italian news presenter held back tears as she announced the death of Silvio Berlusconi on Monday 12 June.

The former prime minister of Italy, who had been suffering from leukaemia, passed away at the age of 86 at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan.

“We have some bad news,” presenter Francesco Vecchi said, announcing Berlusconi’s death on the Mattino Cinque programme.

“The worst thing we could report on... for us here at Mediaset, because Silvio Berlusconi died,” Federica Panicucci then added, appearing to hold back tears.

Commercial broadcaster Mediaset was founded by Berlusconi in 1987.