Christopher Price, cult figure of celeb TV, 'died of overdose'

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Obituary

To his viewers, he was the acerbic and portly newscaster whose role as the face of the BBC's digital "yoof TV" flagship had brought him a cult following, a huge pay packet and imminent mainstream success.

It was a status which Christopher Price was relishing after 10 years of trawling the newsrooms trying to find a niche in an institution where he was told more than once that he was "too camp" or "too wacky" to fit in.

He finally arrived last year, with a two-year contract worth £280,000 to front Liquid News, the half-hour celebrity-driven news bulletin on the digital channel BBC Choice.

But shortly before 5pm on Monday, Price's life came to an end less than three hours before he was due to present his show. A colleague found him collapsed on the floor of his £550-a-week flat near Oxford Street in central London.

The 34-year-old, who summed up his own surprise at his success by saying "I am a fat, bald homosexual – not ideal television material at all", had been off work with an acute inner-ear infection for a week. A post -mortem examination due to be carried out this morning for the Westminster coroner is expected to show that Price died from an overdose of barbiturates.

His agent confirmed yesterday that he had been prescribed strong pain-killers for his illness but denied suggestions that he had been depressed and took his life using the prescribed sedatives.

Vivienne Clore, who has known Price for the last two years, said: "I spoke to him on Friday and he was genuinely very, very excited about the new programmes he was to be involved with.

"He had been prescribed very strong pain-killers. He told me he had these tablets and I told him to be careful with how many he was taking, to be aware. I don't believe he committed suicide."

Scotland Yard said there were no suspicious circumstances linked to the death.

Price, who had performed unsuccessful stints on Radio 5 Live and BBC News 24, had an unabashed interview style and an irreverence unusual in his chosen sphere. After starting Liquid News in 2000, he said: "I knew I would never be right for Newsnight. I love celebrity news if it's done properly. I hate this fluffy celebrity reporting, the 'tell us about your lovely book, you lovely person' stuff."

As well as attracting mainstream stars such as Kylie Minogue onto the show, Price specialised in risqué remarks. He once asked political pundit Peter Snow whether he liked Pamela Anderson's breasts.

Despite attracting only 14,000 viewers on BBC Choice, Liquid News was given a weekly slot last year on BBC1. Price was also being lined up to present a quiz produced by the makers of The Weakest Link.

Stuart Murphy, the director of BBC Choice, paid tribute to his presenter yesterday. He said: "His wit and boundless cheek made him a pleasure to watch. He was a unique broadcaster with enormous passion and extraordinary potential."

But behind the caustic wit and flamboyance, lurked a retiring figure. Price had ended a long-term relationship with a French partner 18 months ago. He turned down invitations to showbusiness parties on principle, saying he preferred to go to the pub with his "real friends". A neighbour said yesterday: "He always looked a bit lonely. I never saw him bring back friends or family."

It was clear, however, that Price will be missed by what had been a growing army of viewers. Tributes on a BBC website yesterday listed contributions by fans from Los Angeles to Tehran.