TV property show host 'may have suffocated during solo sex game'

Officers said they are officially treating the circumstances of the To Buy Or Not To Buy presenter's death as "unexplained".

But it is understood a post-mortem examination is expected to find he suffocated while deliberately starving himself of oxygen.

Auto-erotic asphyxiation is said to heighten sexual arousal and despite being condemned by police and medical experts, the extremely dangerous practice continues to claim lives.

Kill Bill film star David Carradine and INXS singer Michael Hutchence died in similar circumstances, although questions remain over their final moments.

Mr Digby was pronounced dead at his home in Richford Road, Newham, east London, after an ambulance crew was called shortly before 8am on Monday. A post-mortem examination was taking place yesterday to establish the cause of death.

The 32-year-old property expert worked on a string of shows including Double Agents, Living In The Sun, House Swap and Buy It, Sell It, Bank It.

Colleagues and friends reacted with shock, saying Mr Digby was a "lovely guy" who brought a "real sense of energy and warmth to all the shows he presented".

A BBC spokesman said: "Kristian was a much-loved and talented presenter for BBC Daytime.

"He brought a real sense of energy and warmth to all the shows he presented for us and will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time."

Neighbour Shirley Shannon, 64, said he moved in about 10 years ago.

It is believed that after initially living in an end-of-terrace two-storey house, he built and moved into his "dream home" in land adjacent to the property.

Ms Shannon said residents would drop flowers over the wall of Mr Digby's modern building.

"He said to us it was his dream home and we joked 'How can it be your dream home when you've built it your own garden?'" Ms Shannon said.

Another neighbour told of the work he did to improve life for people in the area. He said Mr Digby arranged for trees to be planted along the street and rubbish to be collected.

The neighbour added: "He made it look nice. Everybody knew him. It is a sad loss."

Mr Digby presented the BBC's Holiday Show and was the series director on The Million Pound Property Experiment for BBC2.

He also directed films and television programmes.