BBC Presenter Mark Speight found dead

[cultcross]

Mark Speight, presenter of SMart, and a host of childrens TV programs for the BBC, has been found dead near Paddington train station 6 days after his disappearance, connected to his despair over the accidental death of his girlfriend.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7345486.stm

Just thought I'd post about it here, Speight was the very end of my CBBC-watching childhood but I do remember him fondly, and I met him entirely by accident in Milton Keynes shopping centre once, he seemed a very nice bloke in reality too.
My thoughts are with his family and friends, they can't have had an easy time of late.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Sad news. I'm feel sorry for his family who will probably be dragged through it all again in the press, with this so soon after what happened with his girlfriend.

 

[TedShatner10]

Winners don't use drugs, but seeing a kids presenter that played a big part in my childhood dying youngish in shady circumstances still sucks the big one. I posted the bad news in Miscellaneous...

Am I going mad in thinking that there is some ongoing celebrity cull since 2008 started?

 

[cultcross]

I posted the bad news in Miscellaneous...

At exactly the same minute as i posted it here great minds, eh?

And we do seem to be losing some big names recently. But I don't know whether it's more than usual for a year. I guess we'll see as the year plays out.

 

[Rowan Sjet]

Tragic. To lose his girlfriend and then his own life...

He was my favourite of the SMart presenters.

 

[Candlelight]

That's sad. Best wishes to both their familes.

 

[Saul]

It's a very sad end to events. I feel so sorry for the him and I feel sorry for his family that have to live with both this death and his fiancees. It's a really tragic end.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

Its a shame that this was the outcome of these tragic events.

 

[TedShatner10]

And we do seem to be losing some big names recently. But I don't know whether it's more than usual for a year. I guess we'll see as the year plays out.

Apart from Arthur C. Clarke and Chuck Heston (who was seriously declining in health and mental faculties the past half decade anyway) and mayber a couple of others, the higher number than usual celebrity deaths since 2006 have been disproportionately premature: Speight's girlfriend was 31, Jeremy Beadle was 58, the creator of the D&D franchise a died at the ripe but disappointing age of 69, Verity Lambert of Doctor Who also died a disappointing age for a Western woman at 71, Ian Richardson was 72, Colin McRae was likely still only in his thirties with one of his sons dying alongside him in a helicopter crash, Heath Ledger was 28 and Brad Renfro a mere 25. There are many others.

 

[WillsBabe]

I'm several decades too old to be watching kids' tv. However, I always enjoyed Smart and was always pleased when I caught it because I really liked Mark Speight. His talent and enthusiasm really shone through. It helped that he was easy on the eye, too. I'm saddened for him and for his family and friends.

 

[The_Book_Of_G'Kar]

I'm really sad about this. He was my favourite kids presenter during the late 90's when I was a young teenager. Most presenters were cheesy but he cut through the cheese and was generally talented and hilarious! Such a tragic end! R.I.P Mark!

 

[Kegek]

There are many others.

Richard Widmark and Jules Dassin, the star and director of The Night and the City, and noted Japanese director Kon Ichikawa These are other notable though relatively elderly examples.

 

[TedShatner10]

Tribute Video

 

[TedShatner10]

Richard Widmark and Jules Dassin, the star and director of The Night and the City, and noted Japanese director Kon Ichikawa These are other notable though relatively elderly examples.

Relatively elderly?! They're all practically a century old.

But I do get the sneaking impression that celebrities long had a tendency to die disproportionately early, likely due to their inherent mindset and the bizarre lifestyle associated with celebrity.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Well, one celebrity who wasn't anywhere near a century old was Dan Fogelberg, who died at 56 in December.

Prostate Cancer claimed him at much too young an age.

I also think there have been alot of deaths recently. I think it is to be expected among the classic film community as most of movie stars of the 50's who are still around are now getting pretty old...

But there have still been alot of younger deaths also, and that is tragic.

 

[Kegek]

Richard Widmark and Jules Dassin, the star and director of The Night and the City, and noted Japanese director Kon Ichikawa These are other notable though relatively elderly examples.

Relatively elderly?! They're all practically a century old.

Granted. But that Dassin and Widmark died in IIRC under a week between each other was striking to me.