Dale Winton, the popular gameshow host best known for the daytime TV hit 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.
Writing in his autobiography, Dale Winton: My Story, in 2002, the much loved star touchingly described his relationship with his beloved mother.
‘In truth though, I always felt my Mum would forgive me anything. She believed in boundaries and was scrict, but her love for me was real and unconditional.’
Dale Winton, the popular gameshow host perhaps best known for Supermarket Sweep, has died at the age of 62
His parents divorced when he was 10 and his father died three years later on the day of Winton’s bar mitzvah.
Just days after he turned 21, Winton discovered his mother, who he adored, had died after taking an overdose of prescription medication.
Distraught, Winton never fully got over the loss of his beloved mother and soon after her death sough help from the Samaritans.
‘I had some really desperate personal moments soon after Mum died,’ he said in his autobiography. ‘On one occasion, I telephoned the Samaritans and went to see one of their volunteers.
‘Whatever people say to comfort one, suicide is chiefly thought of as the ultimate rejection of loved ones, as well as of life, and those who are left need time to get beyond these thoughts
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.
Winton was born in Marylbone, London, in May 1955 to Gary and Sheree, an actress
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.
Just days after he turned 21, Winton discovered his mother, who he adored, had died after taking an overdose
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.
Dale Winton: The shows that made a nation fall in love with him
He started his career as a DJ but soon made the jump to TV and went on to enjoy a successful career on primetime television
Dale Winton, who has died at the age of 62, became a household name through hosting a variety of gameshows.
He started his career as a DJ but soon made the jump to TV and went on to enjoy a successful career on primetime television.
From Supermarket Sweep to the National Lottery’s In It To Win It, here is a round-up of Winton’s gameshows.
Supermarket Sweep
Supermarket Sweep was perhaps Winton’s most famous show and catapulted him to fame.
It saw contestants split into three teams of two, each starting with a clock with 60 seconds on it.
The teams then attempted to add as much time as possible to the clock by answering questions posed by Winton.
This was followed by the Big Sweep round, which saw contestants racing around a supermarket collecting shopping items.
Whoever filled their trolley with items of the most value won the chance to enter the Super Sweep round.
Supermarket Sweep originally ran from 1993 to 2001 before a 2007 reboot.
Touch The Truck
In 2001, Winton fronted Channel 5’s Touch The Truck, which tasked a group of 20 contestants with staying in contact with a stationary vehicle.
Whoever kept hold of the truck the longest, won it.
The endurance show was filmed at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock, Essex.
National Lottery: In It To Win It
Winton hosted the National Lottery’s In It To Win It for 18 series between 2002 and 2016.
The programme saw five contestants battle it out for the chance to win up to £100,000.
The show included the Saturday night Thunderball and Lotto draws.
Show Me What You’ve Got
Dutch production company Endemol chose Winton to host their programme Show Me What You’ve Got in 2006.
The programme did not receive a full series.
Hole In The Wall
Winton returned to the BBC in 2008 to present Hole In The Wall.
The show saw players trying to manoeuvre themselves through cutout holes of varying shapes in a large wall moving towards them as they stood in front of a swimming pool.
Hole in the Wall had two teams made up of celebrities and they competed for £10,000 prize money which they donated to their chosen charity.
Winton hosted the first series but was replaced by Strictly Come Dancing’s Anton du Beke for the second series.
Dale’s Great Getaway
In 2012 Winton hosted the one-off Dale’s Great Getaway on ITV.
It featured three families competing in a series challenges to try to win up to £15,000 and a holiday.