Wolverhampton television presenter Mark Speight is quitting CBBC show SMart after the death of his fiancee.

Speight, who is a former pupil of Tettenhall College, said the tragic loss of Natasha Collins had left him feeling unable to continue.

Collins, a 31-year-old actress and presenter, was found dead at the couple’s London flat on January 3.

Speight was initially arrested on suspicion of murder and supplying Class A drugs.

Police are no longer treating him as a murder suspect, but he is bailed to return on the drugs matter next month.

The presenter has insisted he had nothing to do with his fiancee’s death.

He co-hosted CBBC show SMart with Kirsten O’Brien and she will continue as presenter.

It is not clear if Speight will be replaced with another co-presenter.

In a statement released today, Speight said: “The tragic loss of Tash has affected her family and me very deeply and therefore I feel unable to commit to the next series of SMart, which is about to start filming.

“I do wish Kirsten and all the team all the very best.”

A friend said: “Mark is absolutely crushed by what happened to Natasha and is unable to contemplate going back to work at the moment.”

The BBC said it accepted Speight’s decision.

Joe Godwin, head of Children’s Entertainment and executive producer of SMart, said: “The next series of SMart is just about to go into production and, given Mark’s recent terrible loss, we completely understand his decision. Everyone at CBBC wishes him well.”