David Gest has died aged 62.
The ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ star was found dead in the Four Seasons hotel in Canary Warf, London, today (12.04.16) at around 10am, his close friend Imad Handi has confirmed.
Mr. Handi told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "It is with great sadness that I can confirm that David Gest has died today.
"David was truly larger than life. He was not just a huge talent and a dear friend but a showbiz icon. I know he will be missed by millions of fans around the world, and particularly in Britain, who came to love his charm and blistering one-liners. If I may steal the words of one eminent critic, David was a natural star and a genuine celebrity. I will miss him."
Metropolitan Police and the London Ambulance Service rushed to the scene mid-morning after they received a call reporting a lifeless man in his 60s at the complex.
David was pronounced dead at the scene.
The shock passing is being described as "unexplained" but unsuspicious and a post-mortem will be held in due course.
The music producer’s death comes just two months after he was forced to leave the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ house due to medical reasons after a week of battling a nasty virus.
It’s not yet known if David’s ex-wife Liza Minnelli, whom he married in 2002 and split from in 2003 but didn’t officially divorce until 2007, has been told the tragic news.