Big Brother Star and Royal Peer Ben Duncan Dies at 45 After Tragic Fall
Ben Duncan, known for his connection as a former university peer of Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton, has passed away at 45, according to numerous reports from British media.
Mr. Duncan, recognized for his 2010 appearance on the U.K.'s Big Brother, tragically sustained a fatal fall of approximately 100 feet from a seventh-floor rooftop establishment at London's Trafalgar St. James Hotel. This incident occurred on Thursday, October 30.
In a statement issued to the Daily Mail, the initial source of the news, London's Metropolitan Police verified that “officers addressed reports concerning an individual on the roof of a structure on Cockspur Street, Westminster.” The reported event transpired shortly after 11 p.m. local time.
The statement further elaborated: “The man unfortunately fell from a significant height. Despite the diligent efforts of the London Ambulance service, he was regrettably pronounced deceased at the location.” It concluded by noting, “His passing is considered unexpected but not suspicious.”
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A distinct declaration regarding Mr. Duncan's demise was also shared with the Daily Mail by a London ambulance service. (The same publication also noted the presence of tall plastic barriers encircling the perimeter of the rooftop bar.)
They communicated: “’We deployed resources to the site, comprising an ambulance crew, an incident response officer, paramedics in rapid response vehicles, and specialists from our hazardous area response team.” They added, “We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance. Regrettably, despite our crews' utmost endeavors, a man was confirmed deceased at the location.”
Prior to his venture into reality television, Mr. Duncan was a student at St Andrews University concurrently with Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, both aged 43. Reports suggested he was within their social circle during their university years and present when the royal couple initiated their relationship. However, Us understands that the nature of the friendship between William and Duncan was not as close as widely reported.
Mr. Duncan had previously spoken about his acquaintance with William and Kate during an interview conducted in 2010.
“Because we’d had Will and Kate in our midst we had royal protection officers swarming the place,” he recounted then. “We knew that they had hit it off and we knew that something was happening, but they were just left alone to get on with it.”
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Mr. Duncan also brought to mind the now-iconic fashion show where Catherine's appearance on the runway initially captured William's attention.
“’It was the end of their first year. I was there, and in person there were a lot of attractive girls,” he described. “She was in a very daring dress, in a sheer stocking-like dress. He was sitting front row and his eyes were like stalks.”
Mr. Duncan further remarked, “She brushed by him on the way to the catwalk and things were never the same again — the whole history of the monarchy had been altered.”
Us Weekly has contacted Prince William's representatives for an official statement.
Beyond his tenure on the U.K.'s Big Brother, Mr. Duncan also featured in programs such as Come Dine With Me, Ladette to Lady, and Celebrity Coach Trip. In 2010, he reflected on his reality television prominence during an interview with Digital Spy.
“Someone asked me a couple of weeks ago if my life had changed. And the thing is that I’ve never done a 9 to 5 job, so in many ways it hasn’t at all,” he appended. “Of course people now ask me for pictures and attention in the street, but I was always the sort of person who spoke to people in the street anyway. I’ve always liked parties and been on the London party scene, so that hasn’t changed. I pick and choose my events more carefully now, that’s one thing that has changed.”
