CELEBRITY Big Brother star Heavy D's family fear he may have died of Covid after being found by a family member when he vanished for several days.
The reality TV star was found dead, aged 47, this morning after pals raised concerns he hadn't been seen or heard from in more than a week.
A relative said: "This is very early days and the cause of his death is a mystery at the moment.
"He was obviously a big guy so there's an investigation on whether it is linked to Covid."
Agent Sue Sheridan of Opaque Artists said: "Colin was a true Arsenal fan and loved his team even taken time out to guest speak on Arsenal Fan TV.
"Medics are investigating the exact cause of death.
"Colin was an absolute pleasure to work with it. He was a friendly guy who had time for everybody he will be missed by those who loved him.
"We ask the public to respect the privacy of the family at this time."
The cause of death is not yet known and a post-mortem is set to take place in the coming days.
Heavy - real name Colin Newell - first found fame after appearing on Storage Hunters.
He became known for his catchphrase "Boom!" which he shouted after sealing a bid on the show.
He went on to take part in the 18th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 and was the fourth person evicted from the show.
The 47-year-old last appeared in public posting videos of himself performing tarot card readings on Instagram on November 14.
His ex-fiance Bryony Harris said today: "Heartbroken. I loved this man we argued we hated each other but we had love at one point and a beautiful daughter rest in peace you silly thing."
Before finding fame he worked as a cab driver and had also sold women's clothing as a market trader.
He leaves two children, including three-year-old daughter Rory.
The reality star split from fiance Bryony Anne Harris in 2016.
The couple had enjoyed a whirlwind romance which saw him propose to 21-year-old Bryony after just a month of dating.
The couple even got matching tattoos shortly after getting together.
The CBB star took his girlfriend onto Lizzie Cundy's radio show on FUBAR to pop the question.
He previously told The Sun Online that he credited his time on the show for winning over the YouTuber and following his eviction wooed her over a Nando’s date.
Actor Nick Nevern wrote on Twitter today: '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!
"U always brought a smile to my face bro & lifted any room you where in. #RIPHeavyD."
The Arsenal fan was also a regular guest on fans' Youtube channel Arsenal Fan TV.
Fellow contributor Kelechi Anyikude said: "I’m shocked to hear the sad news that my fellow Arsenal fan and analyst Heavy D has passed away today.
"We shared the same platform @AFTVMedia for years and he always brought his positive vibes with him. My sincere condolences go to his family at this very sad time. #RIPHeavyD."
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Earlier this month, Heavy had posted a series of videos on Instagram complaining he was being bombarded with nuisance phone calls.
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Shouting at the camera, he said: "F***ing hell, alright you’ve got my number, doesn’t mean you’ve got to fucking wear it out.
"Every five minutes, alright what’s happening, you alright, I just spoke to you ten minutes ago, what the f*** do you want?"