Scott Kristian Edwin Digby was an English television presenter and director best known for presenting To Buy or Not to Buy on BBC One. On 1 March 2010 he was found dead in what police said were "unexplained circumstances". On 9 November 2010, a coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.
Early life
Digby was born in Torquay, Devon to parents who were property developers. He attended Bramdean School in Exeter, where he battled with severe dyslexia and graduated from the University of Westminster with a in film and photography. He later presented a documentary for the BBC entitled Hiding the Truth: I Can't Read in which he returned to the school. In 1997, Digby's film Words of Deception won him a Junior BAFTA. The following year, his film Last Train to Demise, which featured actress and model Lucy Perkins, won the Melbourne Film Festival's Best Student Film award.
Television career
Digby began his television presenting career for ITV presenting Nightlife. Prior to this he covered for LBC's TV critic Chris Stacey on LBC's evening shows, Sunday Night and One Night Strand. At around the same time, he directed television programmes Homefront, Fantasy Rooms, She's Got Have It which also featured actress and model Lucy Perkins, Girls on Top and The O-Zone. In 2001, Digby presented That Gay Show on BBC Choice. Beginning in 2003, Digby presented various programmes for the BBC, including To Buy or Not to Buy. In addition, he has presented Uncharted Territory, Holiday, Trading Up, Living in the Sun and Open House. In the September 2006 edition of AXM he appeared nude for charity. Digby was a presenter of morning TV BBC shows:
Open House – Along with his team, he made over properties that are not selling through the traditional estate agent route, after the make over they host an open house for possible buyers.
Buy It, Sell It, Bank It – The show follows two property developers at a property auction, the winner is followed for the rest of the show as he or she alters the house. The loser at the auction gives his or her thoughts of the improvements at the end of the show.
To Build or Not to Build – In 2008 Digby decided to build his own house, designed by Neu Architects. The BBC decided to follow this and also draw in other people who have done something similar with Digby interviewing them. The premise is similar to Channel 4's Grand Designs, but on a smaller scale.
Directing
In 1997 Digby's film Words of Deception won a junior Bafta and in 1998 his short film Last Train to Demise won Best Student Film at the Melbourne Film Festival.
Charity work
Digby devoted a large amount of time to charity work. He supported both dyslexia charities, as well as LGBT charities. Two charities he was involved with were The Albert Kennedy Trust, which supports homelessLGBT people and the Terrence Higgins Trust which supports people living with HIV and AIDS. After Digby died, Tim Sigsworth, chief executive of the Albert Kennedy Trust, said: "The young people cared for by the Trust were very close to Kristian's heart. The money donated in honour of his memory will go towards the newly named Kristian Digby Young Person of the Year Award which will be given out at the Albert Awards in London and Manchester. Donations will also directly improve the lives and life chances of young LGBT people who are facing homelessness after rejection by their families".
Personal life
Digby was openly gay. He claimed to have discovered his sexuality when he was studying for his degree in "Film, video and photographic arts" at the University of Westminster. In 2006, he appeared in Simon Fanshawe's The Trouble with Gay Men and bemoaned the lack of gay role models, explaining how he refused to camp it up on TV, although he was known for his pole dancing skills excerpted on That Gay Show.
Death
Digby's partner, Jason Englebrecht, returned from Africa on 28 February, and tried to call Digby, but was unsuccessful in making contact or entering his home on Richford Road, Newham, London E15. On the morning of 1 March, Englebrecht called Digby's neighbour and tenant of a room in the main home that Digby owned, who entered the two-bedroom house that Digby had built and lived in. She found Digby dead on his bed at 7:45 am on 1 March 2010. An ambulance was called; paramedics declared him dead at the scene. Digby's body was identified by his mother, Paula Dubois. Digby's post-mortem examination was held on 2 March 2010; the results were inconclusive. The police were satisfied that there was no third-party involvement. An inquest opened on 4 March 2010 at Walthamstow Coroner's Court; both his parents attended. The inquest was adjourned later the same day. It reopened in November 2010, where the police stated that Digby was found on his bed, wearing only his boxer shorts, as well as a plastic bagbin liner over his head. The body was found next to a canister of ethyl chloride, but no trace of it or other stimulants or alcohol were found in his blood stream. On 9 November 2010, the coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.
