Celebrity Big Brother contestant Heavy D has died, aged 43.
His friend, the actor Nick Never, announced the news, writing on Twitter: “I’m very shocked & saddened to hear of the passing of my friend @HeavyHeavyd. U lived ur life the way u wanted to & f*** anyone who didn’t like it [sic]."
Heavy D’s cause of death is currently unknown.
He appeared on the celebrity version of reality series Big Brother in 2016, and was evicted in the fourth week.
His fellow housemates included Christopher Biggins, Marnie Simpson and eventual winner Stephen Bear.
He was best known for saying the catchphrase, “Boom”, which spawned his nickname, The Boominator.
Heavy D was a renowned Arsenal fan, and regularly appeared on ArsenalFanTV, taking part in discussions and interviews.
The football channel paid tribute to the star on Twitter, writing: “We are shocked to hear the sad news that Heavy D has passed away today. Our condolences go to his family at this very sad time.”
He is survived by a 14-month-old daughter named Rory, whom he had with his ex-girlfriend, Bryony Harris.
The pair first met after Harris messaged the TV star on Twitter having been a fan of his.
They became engaged after Heavy D proposed live on a radio show in September 2016, but split three months later on Christmas Day.
