'My sweet love': 'Devastated' Zoe Ball's poignant Instagram post as her cameraman boyfriend, 40, is found hanged at home after struggling with depression and money worries

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Zoe Ball's boyfriend hanged himself at home aged 40, it has been claimed.

Billy Yates, who was said to be struggling with money worries and depression, was discovered by a friend at his flat in Putney, south London, on Thursday evening.

The radio 2 DJ is 'overcome with grief' and took to Instagram to post a poignant and heartbreaking message following the tragedy.

Paramedics arrived minutes later but were unable to revive Mr Yates who was pronounced dead at the scene.

One friend said this was not the first time he had tried to kill himself, adding: 'He had tried this before by crashing his car.'

Zoe Ball revealed she was in a relationship with 40-year-old cameraman Billy Yates (pictured together in February) after she split from husband DJ Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, last September

This morning Zoe took to Instagram and posted a poignant photograph of a flower with the caption, 'My sweet love'

In his final tragic tweet Mr Yates said a book about depression titled How To Save Time had given him 'reasons to stay alive'

Sources say he suffered financial problems and mental health difficulties as Zoe followed Depression Awareness and Anxiety UK on Twitter.

And in his final tragic tweet Mr Yates said a book about depression titled How To Save Time had given him 'reasons to stay alive.' 

But neighbours saw no sign of anything amiss, with one spotting the Antiques Roadshow cameraman laughing and smiling as he bought a soft drink from a corner shop hours before he killed himself.

The friend said: 'I didn't know this until today. It's just very, very sad.'

The BBC has given Radio 2 DJ Zoe time off the grieve, with Kate Thornton hosting Saturday's 3pm show in her place. 

Zoe's spokesman said: 'Zoe is devastated and requests that during this difficult time the media respect her privacy as well as the privacy of her friends and family.'

The DJ was said to be in East Sussex last night with family. A source told The Mirror: 'Zoe is devastated, and is trying to get her head around it, but she's very delicate.

Mr Yates was discovered at his flat in Putney, south London, (pictured) Thursday evening

'She's had a terrible year, and it seemed she had finally got her head straight and ­everything was going well, she was in a really good place.

'Now, the unimaginable has happened. This is going to be very hard for her to deal with. She has a close-knit circle of friends rallying around her, offering their support. Her mum Julia rushed to her side to be with her.'

Mr Yates was said to have given the Strictly Come Dancing presenter a new lease of life following her marriage split from DJ Fatboy Slim and she had only recently expressed her love for him. 

Friday morning, before news of his death emerged, Zoe took to Instagram and posted a poignant photograph of a flower with the caption: 'My sweet love'. She has not otherwise commented on the tragedy.

Earlier on Thursday, she had shared a Samaritans tweet which encouraged anyone going through a difficult or distressing time to call the charity.

Earlier yesterday, she shared a Samaritans tweet (pictured) which encouraged anyone going through a difficult or distressing time to call the charity

In January, Zoe was seen passionately embracing and kissing Billy Yates after they got out of a cab together in London

Along with a picture of a heart-shaped light sabre, it read: 'If it really doesn't feel like the force is with you today, we're here and ready to listen.' 

Speaking on Friday afternoon, Mr Yates' 72-year-old father, David from Darwen in Lancashire, declined to comment on his son's death, adding only: 'We're just devastated, thank you.'  

Friends say Zoe's boyfriend's death 'came completely out of the blue'.

One told The Sun: 'Zoe is overcome with grief. She is completely and utterly devastated.

'Billy had made her happy again after the most horrendous year when her marriage broke down.

'This was completely out of the blue. She had no feeling that this was coming and is in total shock.' 

In February this year, Zoe was seen helping Yates move into his new flat in south London

The cameraman's neighbours spoke of their 'shock and sadness' at his sudden death.

Raj Gorgar, who runs a corner shop adjoining Mr Yates's first floor flat,  said he was stunned by news of Mr Yates's death.

'He was a regular and would come in most days, to buy some water or a fizzy drink. He was a lovely man and always so polite and chatty,' said the 39-year-old.

'I can't believe that he is dead. One of my colleagues served him yesterday. He said that he looked fine and healthy.'

Mr Gorgar said he was aware that Yates was dating Zoe Ball but had never seen them together.

Other neighbours described Mr Yates as being 'fit and healthy'.

Ali Ashtari, who runs a takeaway pizza restaurant called Topollino's, said he would often see Mr Yates cycling past on his bike.

'He was a very fit man and to hear he is dead is just so sad,' he said.

'It has brought tears to my eyes. When we opened here about four months ago he came in and welcomed us and wanted to see the food we were serving.

'He was a lovely man and one of our best customers. He would stop for a chat. He was just a real decent guy.'

This afternoon, mourners left floral tributes (pictured) outside Mr Yates's house in London 

The flowers were left on the doorstep at the home where Mr Yates was found dead yesterday

Mr Ali, 47, said he saw police cars arriving outside the flat where Mr Yates lived around 6pm on Thursday.

'The cars were in the road and the men seemed to be looking for an address. I had no idea they were going to Mr Yates home. It is really sad to think that he has gone at such a young age.'

Naridner Parashar, 82, who runs a newsagents in a parade of shops close to Mr Yates' home, said he often called in to buy a newspaper.

'He was so good looking and very fit and healthy. It is just terrible what has happened,' he said.

A couple who live above Billy's flat described him as happy who had lived there for about 18 months. 

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: 'He was always happy and smiling and would always have a chat with you.' 

She said recently he was spending more time away from the flat but she never saw Zoe at the property.

Her husband who works in the corner shop downstairs said he last saw Mr Yates at 10am yesterday morning when he bought a large bottle of soft drink.

He said: 'We just met like we normally do and chatted. He said hello and we chatted a little bit. That was the last time I saw him. He seem completely normal like when I saw him before.' 

The pair's romance came after she split from her husband of 18 years Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim (pictured) last September

A small bunch of flowers with a note 'To our Billy' was left by a friend at the front door of the flat.  

A Metropolitan Police spokesman told MailOnline that Mr Yates' death was not being treated as suspicious, but would not divulge details of how he had died.

They said: 'Police were called at 6.40pm on Thursday, May 4 to a residential address in Putney following reports of a man found deceased.

'Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended. A man believed to be aged 40 was pronounced dead at the scene. The death is not being treated as suspicious.'  

The pair's romance came after she split from her husband of 18 years Norman Cook last September. 

After announcing their separation, Ball and Cook said they would remain 'great friends' and would continue to support each other to raise their two children together.

She met the 40-year-old Antiques Roadshow cameraman through mutual friends at the BBC. 

The pair had been spotted out together on numerous occasions, and were seen in January kissing in the street in London

Billy Yates (pictured right in February) was found dead at his flat in Putney, south London, on Thursday evening

The pair had been spotted out together on numerous occasions, with Zoe's celebrity father Johnny Ball, 78, telling The Mirror: 'We are very happy that she is finding a new lease of life. She is very happy at the moment, she really is, and that is lovely.' 

In January, the couple were seen passionately embracing and kissing in the street in London.

One onlooker said: 'They looked like a new couple who are besotted with each other. Zoe couldn't stop smiling and was very into him, they look great together.'

And in February, Zoe was seen helping Yates move into his new London flat.

At the time, Mr Yates's ex Molly Johnson, 41 said she hoped the 'brilliant man' would settle down with his new love.

She said: 'It's all lovely and fabulous. I hope they're very happy. He is a dear, dear friend, my whole family just adore him.

'All that matters to us is that he's happy. He's a really, properly brilliant man, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him.'  

The tragedy comes just a day after the TV host spoke out how she was embracing approaching 50. 

Zoe and Billy (pictured) had been spotted out together on numerous occasions. They are said to have met through friends at the BBC

She described the past 12 months in which she split with Cook and started her relationship with Mr Yates as a 'year of discovery'. 

During that time, she was also seen embracing boyband singer Tay Starhz, 22, on the dancefloor at the festive wrap party for Strictly Come Dancing's BBC2 spin-off show It Takes Two.  

Speaking at comedian Sarah Millican's monthly Standard Issue in Conversation event at London's Leicester Square Theatre this week, the TV host said she is 'starting to embrace the older age thing', adding: 'You just stop caring about stuff so much which is nice.'

She added: 'I have had a bit of a year. I've had a bit of a year of self-discovery.' 

As well as his camera work on Antiques Roadshow, Mr Yates has also worked on ITV's The Xtra Factor.