£250,000 BBC star found dead

A BBC TV presenter tipped for stardom has been found dead in his West End flat.

Christopher Price, 34, was due to front last night's edition of the showbiz programme Liquid News on BBC1 and BBC Choice.

A concerned producer was sent to his block of flats where his body was discovered. The programme was cancelled.

Price, who was openly gay, had apparently taken an overdose of barbiturates while suffering from depression.

One of the highest-paid presenters at the BBC, Price last year signed a £250,000-a-year contract.

Colleagues said today that they had been shocked at his appearance when they saw him hosting a party on 14 April.

A BBC colleague said: "People were saying how ill he looked. Work was his life, but the doctors had to tell him to take a couple of weeks off." He was seen by BBC bosses as the future face of television news.

His informal style meant he had developed a cult following among young viewers who saw him as a younger version of Terry Wogan - he was even being lined up to host the Eurovision Song Contest.

Stuart Murphy, controller of BBC Choice, paid tribute to a "unique broadcaster, with enormous passion and extraordinary potential".

Mr Murphy, who signed Price to host Liquid News, said: "His tragic death comes as a complete shock to us and will sadden everyone who knew him.

His wit and boundless cheek made him an absolute pleasure to watch, and an entertaining friend to many, both in front of and behind the camera. Our thoughts are with the people who were closest to him."

Lorraine Heggessey, controller of BBC One said: "I was terribly sad to hear that Christopher has died, he clearly had a bright future ahead of him and in a short space of time had established himself as a strong individual voice.

"I will miss his unique brand of humour and I know BBC viewers will too."

Roger Mosey, head of television news, said: "Christopher's greatest contribution was to BBC Choice, but in recent years he was also a highly-talented presenter on Radio 5 Live and on BBC News 24. It was on News 24 that he pioneered Zero30, which became Liquid News.

"We will miss his journalism as well as his wit, and he was a sparky and entertaining colleague as well as a muchloved presenter on screen."

Price, who last year signed a "golden handcuffs" deal to become one of the Corporation's best paid stars, was discovered in his flat shortly before 5pm yesterday.

He had not worked since hosting a party for Eurovision Song contestants with Claire Sweeney on 14 April, when he was described by friends as looking "very ill."

The star had complained of suffering from a fever and acute inner ear infection, and was told by doctors to take two weeks off work.

He was due back at work yesterday, but when he did not arrive producers visited his home in Wells Street, just round the corner from BBC headquarters, where he lived alone.

As well as being due to host the Eurovision Song Contest, he was also being lined up for a quiz show created by the team behind Anne Robinson's The Weakest Link.

Rumours of his pay deal, which saw him earn more than established names like Anna Ford and Huw Morgan, sparked controversy as he was relatively unknown at the time.

A BBC colleague said of Price: "The mood here is one of absolute shock and disbelief.

"He was one of those larger than life individuals who had a story about everyone he worked with.

"His star was very much in the ascendent. The show was seen across the world and he was becoming internationally known. There was a lot of fuss about his pay deal, but there would have been no shortage of takers from other networks if he had not been signed up."

Another friend said: " He was immensely talented, very sharp, very witty and made a very difficult programme look very easy indeed. I can hardly believe it."

A languages graduate from Reading University, Price joined the BBC's reporter training scheme and began his career in local radio, where he spent a year-and-a-half based all over the country from Barrow in Furness to Berkshire.

Police are still carrying out investigationsat Mr Price's home in a trendy new 11-storey block. Detectives have launched an investigation into the death but are not seeking anyone else in connection with it.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said police were called to the house by ambulance crews who reported a man collapsed.

The spokesman added: "As with all sudden deaths, the police are investigating the circumstances around it. A postmortem examination will be carried out in due course and an inquest is expected to be opened. It will be up to the coroner to determine the cause of death, but it is not being treated as suspicious and our investigations are virtually concluded."

Tragedy of 'gay, bald, fat man'