Ben Duncan, a university friend of Prince William and Princess Kate, has died at 45 years old. Multiple British media outlets reported his passing.
Duncan participated in the UK edition of Big Brother in 2010. He fell approximately 30 meters (100 feet) from a seventh-floor rooftop bar at the Trafalgar St. James hotel in London. The incident occurred on Thursday, October 30.
London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed their response to "concern for a man on the roof of a building on Cockspur Street, Westminster." The statement was provided to the Daily Mail, which first reported the news. The incident happened shortly after 11:00 p.m. local time.
The police statement added, "The man sadly fell from a height. Despite the best efforts of the London Ambulance Service, he was pronounced dead at the scene." Authorities also noted, "His death is unexpected, but not suspicious."
The London Ambulance Service also released a statement regarding Duncan’s death. They sent extensive resources to the scene. These included an ambulance crew, an incident response officer, paramedics, and a trauma team from the London Air Ambulance.
"Very sadly, despite the best efforts of our units, a man was pronounced dead at the scene," the service reported.
Before his reality television career, Duncan attended the University of St Andrews at the same time as William and Kate, both 43. He was reportedly part of their close friend group during their university years. He was present when the royal couple began dating.
Duncan spoke about his close friendship with William and Kate in a 2010 interview. "Because we had Will and Kate among us, the royal protection officers were everywhere," he recalled then. "We knew they were getting on and something was going on, but they just left them alone."
Duncan also recounted the now-famous fashion show where Kate’s walk first caught William’s eye. "It was the end of their first year. I was there and, in person, there were a lot of attractive girls," he remembered. "She wore a very daring, sheer stocking-like fabric dress. He was sitting in the front row and his eyes were wide."
Duncan added, "She brushed past him as she walked onto the runway and things were never the same; the whole history of the monarchy changed."
Us Weekly has reached out to William’s team for comment.
Beyond Big Brother UK, Duncan also appeared on shows like Come Dine With Me, Ladette to Lady, and Celebrity Coach Trip. He discussed his television fame in a 2010 interview with Digital Spy.
"A couple of weeks ago someone asked me if my life had changed. The thing is, I’ve never had an office job, so in many ways it hasn’t changed at all," he stated. "Of course, people now ask for photos and pay attention to me on the street, but I’ve always been one to chat with people on the street."
He concluded, "I’ve always liked parties and being in the London scene, so that hasn’t changed. Now I choose events more carefully, that has changed."