Zoe Ball tried to save her boyfriend before his tragic death, an inquest heard.
The 47-year-old star was heartbroken after BBC cameraman Billy Yates took his own life aged 40 last year, and it has now been revealed she had been helping him with his issues.
Westminster Coroner’s Court heard that while he had concerns over a large tax bill, his relationship with Zoe was going well at the time of his death.
Billy – a former Royal Marine – first tried to take his own life by crashing his car in November 2016, and his partner paid for a fortnight stay at The Priory clinic.
He tried to kill himself again months later by inhaling toxic fumes, and called an NHS crisis number the next day – but the inquest head he did not go to accident and emergency as advised.
Dr. Barbara Rooney, a consultant psychiatrist at The Priory, also described how Zoe had helped him, adding while he had suffered from depression for 10 years, the couple got on well and had gone on holiday in January 2017.
His family said the couple had a "beautiful relationship" and were the "love of each others’ life".
They added in a statement: "He suffered greatly from depression which plagued him on and off for years, but life became too much for him."
Billy was found to have 92mg per 100 milligrams of alcohol in his blood, which put him just over the drink-drive limit.
His hanged himself at his home in south west London, and his long-time friend Brad Abbots discovered his body later that day.
Assistant Westminster Coroner Shirley Radcliffe said the inquest had returned an open verdict, because she couldn’t be sure his death wasn’t an impulsive, drunken act.
Zoe Ball tried to save suicidal boyfriend
