Supermarket Sweep propelled host Dale Winton to national fame
Dale Winton, the popular gameshow host perhaps best known for Supermarket Sweep, has died at the age of 62.
He was a household name in the mid 1990s and early 2000s while fronting shows such as Supermarket Sweep and The National Lottery: In It To Win It, but had kept a low profile in recent years.
Winton was born in Marylbone, London, in May 1955 to Gary and Sheree, an actress.
His parents divorced when he was 10 and his father died three years later on Winton's bar mitzvah.
Just days after he turned 21, Winton discovered his mother, who he adored, had died after taking an overdose.
His career in showbusiness began when he worked as a DJ on the London club scene before he moved into work in radio and television.
His big break came with Supermarket Sweep, which saw contestants racing around a supermarket collecting items.
He hosted the show from 1993 to 2001, and was involved in a 2007 reboot.
From there, Winton moved onto prime-time shows including The National Lottery's In It To Win It and went onto host his own Christmas specials as well as celebrity guest shows.
In his 2002 autobiography he came out as gay.
In recent years the once prolific star disappeared from TV screens and in an interview earlier this year he claimed he was keeping a low profile after undergoing several rounds of surgery.
In 2015 he sparked concern after failing to attend the funeral of Cilla Black, who was one of his closest friends.
A year later, he appeared on TV's Loose Women and revealed he had been secretly battling depression after going through a difficult break up.
He told the show: "I should have taken myself off the TV but I didn't. Listen, there are worse things in the world - but I had depression and I didn't realise.
"I always thought, 'get over yourself'. But my mum died of it. It exists and anybody out there who has had it knows it exists. I didn't want to put one foot in front of the other but for a couple of really good friends."
Earlier this year he was back on our screens, hosting Dale Winton's Florida Fly Drive on Channel 5.
However, only one episode aired in February after the network decided not to show the remainder of the series following the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The other episodes were due to air in June, Channel 5 said.
Winton's agent confirmed his death today at the age of 62.
