Dale Winton: Police to investigate TV presenter's death after friend says he 'hadn't been in a good place for a long time'
The death of the much loved television presenter Dale Winton at his home in London is being treated as “unexplained” by police.
Police are making enquiries after the TV personality – who is famed for fronting game show series like Supermarket Sweep and the National Lottery’s In It To Win It – died at his home aged 62 on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told The Independent they do not currently believe the death to be suspicious.
“Police were called by London Ambulance Service at approximately 4.10pm on Wednesday, 18 April following the death of a man, aged in his 60s, at a residential address in High Road, Whetstone,” a spokesperson said.
“The death is being treated as non-suspicious. A post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”
The police announcement comes as his friend and radio presenter Steve Allen said Winton had not been in a “good place” for a long while.
Allen, who said he had known Winton for nearly 50 years, dedicated an hour of his LBC radio show to sharing stories and memories of Winton.
“I feel better for him now because I don’t think he’d been in a good place for a long, long time,” he said.
Tributes to the host have flooded in since his long-serving agent Jan Kennedy revealed he had passed away – with Davina McCall, David Walliams and Jack Whitehall paying tribute to the star on social media.
“It is with great sadness that we can confirm the passing of Dale Winton who died at home earlier today,” Ms Kennedy said.
“While we know many will share this terrible loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time of grief.”
The stalwart of British TV was born in Marylebone in London in 1955 to Gary and Sheree, an actress. His parents divorced when he was 10, and his father passed away three years later on Winton’s bar mitzvah.
Just days after turning 21 Winton discovered his mother had died after taking an overdose.
After starting out as a DJ in London clubs, he then embarked on a career in radio and TV. It was hosting ITV‘s Supermarket Sweep, which ran from 1993 to 2001 before a rebooted version hit screens in 2007.
Winton had recently kept a low profile, telling TV Times earlier this year that he had undergone a string of surgeries. “I had a shoulder problem and a knee problem, so I took a break to get myself sorted,” he said in January.
Fellow TV presenter Nick Knowles, who worked with Winton, said after his death was announced: “Lovely man. Kind & mischievous, generous & a great story teller. Same production crew for In it & Who Dares. We’ll all miss him.”
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s controller of entertainment commissioning, said: “Dale was an immensely well-loved individual who brought a wonderfully unique and special energy to the many programmes he presented.
“He was extremely kind, brilliantly funny and was a true gentleman.”
