Ben Duncan, a British television personality and university classmate of the Prince and Princess of Wales, has died after falling seven floors from the rooftop of a central London hotel.
Duncan first gained public attention as a contestant on 'Big Brother,' where his eccentric personality made him a fan favorite. Before his rise to fame, he shared classrooms at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews with Prince William and Kate Middleton, witnessing the early stages of their now-historic romance.
The tragic incident occurred on October 30. According to the Daily Mail, London’s Metropolitan Police were called around 11 p.m. after reports of a man on the rooftop of a building that houses a luxury five-star hotel and its popular terrace bar, known for its sweeping city views and glass-panel barriers.
Despite the swift arrival of emergency services, Duncan’s injuries were fatal. Authorities described his death as “unexpected but not suspicious.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson also told the outlet that they “sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer, paramedics in fast-response cars, paramedics from [their] hazardous area response team (HART) [and] a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance.”
Although Duncan’s life later took a different path from that of his royal peers, he once reflected fondly on their student days. In a 2010 interview, he recalled being among the first to notice the budding connection between William and Kate. “We could tell something was going on," he said at the time, explaining that they "got along so well."
"But everyone, including the security team, gave them space to just be themselves,” he said, remembering how the prince’s protective detail drew quiet attention from their circle of friends.
That same year, Duncan became a household name after appearing on 'Big Brother UK.' He later joined several other reality shows before moving into television presenting, hosting programs such as 'More Than a Mistress.' Despite his onscreen success, those close to him say his true passions were politics and music.