Dale Winton reportedly sold London mansion to cover mounting debts a month before death
Dale Winton attends the wedding of David Walliams and Lara Stone at Claridge’s Hotel on May 16, 2010 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty)
Friends of the late Dale Winton have opened up about how he struggled in the final months of his life.
Winton, 62, was found dead at home on Wednesday at his rented home in north London. The cause of death has not yet been made public, but police say it was non-suspicious.
Just a month earlier the star reportedly sold his central London mansion for £2.6 million. The four-storey property in a private mews in Regents Park, central London, was Winton’s home for some 20 years.
Dale Winton on Supermarket Sweep
Friends say he had been struggling with debts in recent years and was forced to sell the longtime home to cover his costs, according to The Sun.
His career had stalled after hosting iconic game show Supermarket Sweep in the 1990s, and a series of BBC shows, including the National Lottery, in recent years.
Radio DJ Steve Allen, a close friend, told the paper: “He was just getting deeper and deeper into debt because unfortunately the one thing Dale loved doing was spending money.
“He liked to be seen spending money, he liked going out spending money. He didn’t want people thinking he didn’t have any money.”
Dale Winton (Getty)
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After selling his property Winton moved into a rented house in suburban Whetstone, north London, where he was found dead.
“Nobody quite knew what caused his behaviour to change so quickly, but it was very sad,” Steve added.
No details of his death are currently known beyond when and where.
Winton’s agent Jan Kennedy confirmed the news of his death on Wednesday, saying: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the passing of Dale Winton who died at home earlier today,” said Kennedy.
“While we know many will share this terrible loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time of grief.”
The Supermarket Sweep host, whose mother took her life aged 39, had opened up about battling depression in one of his final interviews.
He told Loose Women: “There are worse things in the world, but I had the health issues and the depression. My mum died.
“I did not want to put one foot in front of the other outside the house. I would not leave the house. Five years I went through it. I wanted to withdraw…If you’ve never had it, you’ll never understand it.”
