Following a year of celebrity deaths, another young star has been found dead in his East London flat. Kristian Digby was just 32 years old, known for presenting daytime television programmes such as ‘To Buy or Not to Buy’ and ‘Living in the Sun’.

His death comes just weeks after the tragic suicide of fashion designer Alexander McQueen, and after the sudden death of British singer Stephen Gately and American actress Brittany Murphy. Like Gately, Digby was openly gay and had presented ‘That Gay Show’ in 2001. His efforts were recognised and appreciated throughout the gay community. Tributes are already pouring in from fans and fellow celebrities since his body was discovered yesterday – it would seem that Digby was loved by everyone who knew him.

Digby was born and raised in Torquay, Devon. His family were property developers, sparking his love for the field. He later became a property expert, qualifying him to present a host of property programmes on television. His next of kin have been informed, and the BBC have sent their condolences to his friends and family.

At the moment, police are calling his death “unexplained”. An ambulance was called to his home in Newham in the early hours of monday morning, but Digby was pronounced dead on the scene. Some reports are claiming that Digby died when a sex game went wrong; it has been suggested that he was alone at the time of death, trying to achieve sexual gratification from asphyxiation. Reports indicate that a belt and a bag were found at the scene. For some, starving themselves of oxygen can heighten sexual pleasure, but it is a very dangerous habit. Just going a step too far can lead to suffocation, and even death. If this speculation is true, Digby will have taught many a valuable lesson for safety during sex play.

Many London escorts were fans of Digby from watching the programmes he presented during the daytime; his loss will be felt by many. His co-presenter Dominic Littlewood has spoken about his friend and colleague, claiming there’s “not a bad word” he can say about him. He has also been described as “talented”, “charming” and “decent”.

If the post mortem reveals that Digby did indeed die from erotic asphyxiation, he will not be the first. Rock star Michael Hutchence had similar circumstances surrounding his death, as did Kill Bill star David Carradine. Sometimes new highs are simply not worth the risk.