Lindsay Liepman, a news anchor in the center Texastearfully informed viewers that her co-host, Kris Radcliffe, had died.

Wednesday (October 30), Liepman announced during a live broadcast that Radcliffe had died ‘unexpectedly’ earlier that day. The co-anchors worked for NBC affiliate KCEN-TV in Waco and Temple, Texas.

“This is an incredibly sad day for our KCEN family,” Liepman began the segment, while discussing her colleague of 51 years. “My co-presenter Kris Radcliffe passed away unexpectedly and we got the news today. Kris sat in the chair right next to me and he was the best, he was just the best.”

As she spoke about her co-anchor, Liepman’s voice began to shake before she finally broke down in tears. She explained to viewers that someone else at KCEN-TV would be taking over the rest of the show for her.

“Funny, genuine and smart, I looked forward to working with Kris every night and I think you can all relate at home,” she said. “We had fun here. Kris loved this community and never took her role for granted.”

“If I had known that yesterday would be our last news together, I would have ignored the cues from our producers and laughed a little harder at all his jokes. He always has a lot of jokes.”

Radcliffe worked at KCEN-TV for 22 years. Despite all the hard work he’s put into the station over the past two decades, Liepman admitted there are many aspects of him that viewers at home haven’t seen in person.

“What you don’t get to see on air is the time we spend talking about our families and our group chats,” the host continued. “He liked to talk about sports and politics. It was important for me to share what he meant to us here at KCEN right now because I know he would have done the same for me.”

She went on to offer her condolences to members of Radcliffe’s family, including his wife, two daughters and two grandchildren who Liepman said “always had a story.”

The anchor concluded her statement by announcing that KCEN-TV’s sister station in Austin, Texas, would be assisting her for the rest of the show. “I just can’t get through tonight’s news and I hope you understand,” Liepman said.

“This is a real loss for our community, for his family, and I know he touched so many of your lives in a positive way. I think it was an honor for him to do this job, it was an honor for us to work with Kris,” she concluded.

The station then broadcast a tribute video to Radcliffe, showing him various photos of him working at the station and with his loved ones. KCEN-TV has not released his cause death.

According to the station’s website, before being in Texas, Radcliffe also worked in Nebraska and California. He grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles and graduated from California State University at Long Beach. During his time at KCEN-TV, he covered the Baylor Men’s Basketball scandal, Columbia’s split from Texas, the Lady Bears 3 National Championships and a Heisman Trophy.

“KCEN and the Central Texas community have lost a truly wonderful person,” KCEN/KAGS President and CEO Rob Dwyer said in a statement.

“Kris Radcliffe, husband, father, grandfather and anchor for KCEN and the community will miss her. Kris was a kind and generous person who lifted up everyone around her. It’s hard to say goodbye.”