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Dale Winton’s death unexplained but not suspicious – police

The 62-year-old celebrity died at his home in London on Wednesday.

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Dale Winton’s death is not being treated as suspicious, police say (Rex)

The death of TV star Dale Winton at a house he moved into weeks earlier is unexplained but not being treated as suspicious, Scotland Yard said.

Tributes have been paid to the 62-year-old following his sudden death on Wednesday at a house in north London.

Winton had moved to Totteridge around three weeks ago, neighbours said, from a flat next to Regent’s Park in central London.

The home of Dale Winton in Totteridge, north London (Jamie Johnson/PA)
The home of Dale Winton in Totteridge, north London (Jamie Johnson/PA)

Scotland Yard said: “The death remains unexplained although at this early stage the police are not treating it as suspicious.

“A post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course.

“Enquiries into the circumstances by officers from Barnet continue.”

At the home in Totteridge, his silver Range Rover, with personalised “21 DW” number plate could be seen in the drive, behind a set of iron gates.

A bouquet of white roses outside the former residence of Dale Winton (Jamie Johnson/PA)
A bouquet of roses outside the residence of Dale Winton (Jamie Johnson/PA)

The 68-year-old said: “I felt very proud to live next to a celebrity. He was very friendly, always smiling.

“His downstairs curtains were usually closed but you could tell he was in because the lights were on. He didn’t have any parties or make lots of noise.”

Another neighbour said that he had seen the property advertised for rent at £3,000-a-month, which he said seemed good value for a five-bedroom house worth a million pounds.

He told the Press Association: “There was a ‘for sale’ sign and then white removal vans. It was just at the start of the month.”

“He was always very pleasant, saying ‘hello’ in the street, no matter what time of day,” added the 84-year-old.

“He had a Range Rover and a Bentley parked outside, with personal DW number plates. He had been there for years. At least 17 years.

“You could always tell when he was in, because he had such a loud voice. He didn’t particularly have parties or lots of people over though.

“I’ll always remember him as a very pleasant man, and I’m just sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

David Walliams, a friend of the game show host, was among the many celebrities paying tribute following the news.

Hours after first simply posting he was “heartbroken”, Walliams tweeted: “Dale was the best company, always outrageous & hilarious. He adored being in show business & loved meeting fans.

“He devoted his life to making everyone else happy, his friends, the public & his godsons, even though he found it hard to be happy himself.”

Winton’s agent, Jan Kennedy, said in a statement to the Press Association on Wednesday: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the passing of Dale Winton who died at home earlier today.

“While we know many will share this terrible loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time of grief.”

No further details were announced.

Winton became a household name with game shows such as Supermarket Sweep and National Lottery show In It To Win It.

Supermarket Sweep, which saw contestants run around a mock-up shop collecting shopping items, was a hit in the 1990s and was later revived.

In 2016, Winton opened up about his battle with depression, triggered by a break-up.

“Listen, there are worse things in the world – but I had depression and I didn’t realise,” he said.

“I had a bad break-up and then I had health issues,” he told Loose Women.

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