Assistant producer, 25, on The One Show died with bathroom shower hose 'tangled around his neck' after playing drinking games with friends during weekend away at £2m country mansion
An assistant producer on the BBC's The One Show died after getting tangled in a shower hose at a country mansion where he had been drinking with friends during a weekend away, a coroner ruled today.
Charlie Mott, described by television presenter Alex Jones as 'hugely talented,' had been taking part in drinking games at the five-bedroom house.
Despite only being 25, Charlie was enjoying an illustrious broadcasting career, having previously worked with presenter Graham Norton on his BBC Radio 2 show.
The inquest was told that the Londoner died from hanging but the coroner recorded an open verdict after ruling there was no evidence he intended to kill himself.
Crispin Butler, senior coroner for Buckinghamshire, said there was not enough evidence to determine whether the death was an accident – as a result of a slip while intoxicated – or suicide.
He said: ‘There were mood swings that evening but people who knew Charlie said that was Charlie.
‘It seems just as likely that he could have stumbled into the shower cubicle in an intoxicated state and not been able to free himself.
Charlie Mott was enjoying an illustrious broadcasting career, having previously worked with presenter Graham Norton on his BBC Radio 2 show
Following his tragic death, One Show presenter Alex Jones fought back the tears as she paid tribute to Charlie on air.
Closing The One Show on August 25, she told viewers: 'Now, before we go, we just wanted to pay tribute to one of our colleagues, Charlie Mott, who sadly died at the weekend.
'Everybody on the team is absolutely devastated. He was hugely talented and such good company. We miss him so much. Our thoughts are with his family and we are sending lots of love from all of us here,' the presenter added.
As a mark of respect for Charlie, The One Show did not include their upbeat theme music as the credits rolled after the show.
The inquest in Beaconsfield, Bucks., heard that Charlie Mott had travelled with his housemate - a friend from university - to a £2million village home where a group of friends spent the day hiking and drinking in the local pub.
After arriving back at the house, the group spent the night playing drinking games - including guess the celebrity - and Charlie was said to be on 'good form' making jokes and laughing, the coroner heard.
The inquest was told how the broadcaster, who joined the BBC in 2018, had mood swings throughout the night, even telling a friend at the party that he hated himself.
In a statement to the inquest, she said: 'His moods were up and down with highs and lows but this was normal behaviour for Charlie.
'An hour or so before he was found, Charlie told me he hated himself and how unhappy he was.'
In the early hours of August 23 this year, a friend discovered Charlie's body in the ensuite bathroom.
Despite only being 25, Charlie was enjoying an illustrious broadcasting career, having previously worked with presenter Graham Norton on his BBC Radio 2 show
After screaming for help, the friends dialled 999 just after 4am and began CPR to save Charlie, but it was too late.
Tragically, paramedics from the South Central Ambulance Service confirmed he had died at 4.54am.
A pathologist performed a post-mortem examination and concluded that Charlie had died from hanging, after being found suspended forwards on his knees.
During the party in Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks., it was believed Charlie had consumed up to eight pints of beer before moving onto spirits and liqueurs, the Buckinghamshire coroner heard.
Following his death, toxicologist John Slaughter confirmed that Charlie was more than double the drink-drive limit associated with 'impairment of judgement and staggering.'
Coroner Crispin Butler told the devastated family: 'It is an unusual description, being found in the loop of the shower hose, not having constructed a ligature.
'That, combined with the intoxication, does create questions that we do not have the answers too.'
Charlie had lived in London with his friend from Bournemouth University - where he had graduated from multimedia journalism.
The friend claimed that in the evening before his death Charlie's mood had been up and down.
He said: 'We knew he was taking anti-depressants and at the party he went from happy to sad back to happy, but this was usual for Charlie.
'At around 2am, Charlie came into my room. He seemed to be aimlessly wandering.
'I was in bed when someone ran into the room later, shouting 'Charlie is purple.' I started CPR on him, the shower hose had left an indentation and he was cold and blue. He never mentioned any suicidal thoughts or feelings.'
The inquest was told that the Londoner died from hanging but the coroner recorded an open verdict after ruling there was no evidence that the assistant producer intended to kill himself
Despite having been prescribed medication for depression a month before his death after he had 'felt low for a couple of years,' the coroner explained that he must not make an assumption just because Charlie had mental health issues.
Sitting in the inquest were Charlie's mother and her partner, his father and his new partner, Charlie's grandfather and his sister with her partner.
The coroner told them: 'There is not a clear pathway that he positively took the action to do something in a clear-headed manner. I do not see it being intentional.
'One must not make assumptions based on engagement with the doctors or mood swings, the facts need to support it. We need to identify that he undertook an act with the intention that his life will end as a result.
'There is nothing that has been constructed, it seems possible that he stumbled into it in an intoxicated state and not understanding what was going on, he was not able to free himself. If you succumb to unconsciousness you will be unable to save yourself quite rapidly.
'It is all the more tragic as we do not fully understand the mechanics of what occurred. How Charlie became entangled in a shower hose - whether that was something he was intending or equally it happened by him stumbling into it and not being able to recover - is not known.
'He had consumed a quantity of alcohol and anti-depressants which have intoxicating effects. Ultimately, the mechanics of how he came to be in the shower hose we do not know.'
The coroner recorded an open verdict.
Alex Jones emotionally paid tribute to one of her late colleagues on The One Show following his sudden death