Star of kids' program admits drug use

LONDON, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- British children's TV presenter Richard McCourt told strangers during a drunken night out that he has taken illegal drugs in the past, the Daily Telegraph said.

McCourt is one half of the performing pair Dick and Dom, who most recently starred in the CBBC Saturday morning show "Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow."

The Sun newspaper quoted a witness as claiming McCourt was drunk and smoking outside a Manchester nightclub when he told strangers, "I have taken drugs."

He reportedly then said he quit using the illegal substances because he suffers from a heart condition and was warned, "Don't take drugs again or you will die."

"It's the best thing that ever happened to me," he is quoted as saying.

One witness told the newspaper he was not amused by the outburst.

"I've got a young son -- and this guy is supposed to be a kids' TV star who sets an example. It was appalling," the witness told the newspaper.

McCourt's publicist Vivienne Clore told the Telegraph, "He's not taken (drugs) for over 10 years because his doctor told him not to."

Earlier this year, Mark Speight, the star of the CBBC children's program "SMart," committed suicide following the death of his fiancee Natasha Collins.

Collins, who worked with Speight on another show for young viewers "See It Saw It," died in a scalding bath following a night of taking drugs.