Sister Wendy Beckett has died aged 88.

The BBC journalist, writer and art critic passed away at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham in Norfolk, England.

Sister Wendy rose to international fame by presenting a series of documentaries for the BBC during the 1990s, including Sister Wendy’s Odyssey and Sister Wendy’s Grand Tour.

Xinran Xue, a close friend, said: “It is very sad news. Many people see her as a religious person and she was far more than that.

“It’s a huge loss for the art world. She was a brilliant art critic.”

Sister Wendy was born in South Africa and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, where her father studied medicine.

She later taught in cities including Cape Town and Liverpool.

It was only in later life that she found fame. – PA