Still can't believe it. He was a caricature of a brillant artist and entertainer. Saw him on telly a few years ago on smart when they were looking at pictures that had been sent in, and he said "that's quite a nice gurn" at one of the pictures a child had sent in, made me laugh.

Will Smith - Daye, lancaster, england

Both my daughters have grown up with SMart and Smarteenies and were stunned to hear the trgic news of his death. He made art fun and was and always will be, a huge inspiration to young children. I hope he's found peace in a place he wants to be. A terrible loss of a terrific talent.

Y.F., Hull, England

Stay safe Mark, we love you.

Tom, Nic, Grace & Fred, Oakham, UK

He was the bbbbbbbbbest presenter and i won't forget mark as a great inspired art presenter

sabia , slough, berkshire

well.
here i sit, at 22:34 thurs 24th april,10 days after the announcement.
i'm a 31 year old male, no real artistic talent (i'm more of a writer than an 'artist per-ce) saddened.
i hope he has found the peace he searched for, and has his beloved girlfriend by his side.
RIP mark - one love.. xxx

Alastair Gardner, Milton Keynes, England

He looked like a really nice and sincere person, my heart goes out to his family and friends, it is a big loss. He was so full of life and he was the one keeping the show on the road with his energy, always smiling and making jokes, he was really lovely. where ever he may be i hope tht he is at peac

Naz, Leicester,

i am sooo upset. i looked up to mark and dreamt of being outgoing like him. i always tuned in to watch smart and i will realy miss him.
i pray for his family and can only hope God makes them strong to cope with this.mark was a great person.

R.I.P MARK gone but not forgoten. xxxxxxxxx

jenny wangui, london, britain

I first heard of Mark on the show, Scratchy and Co, and also saw him on the program, See it, saw it, and Smart.I had abit of a crush on him actually.I was 11 when I first heard of him, I'm nearly 24 now.I wish I could have met Mark.He seemed like such a happy and outgoing person.

I am very shocked and saddened by his death, and my thoughts are with his family, friends, and anyone who admired Mark at this difficult time.

Beth, Wigan, England

My daughter and I would watch Mark in amazement, She always wanted to try everything he did on Smart. A very talented man. My families thoughts are with both Marks and Natasha's families. He won't be forgotten.

John Cashmore, Kidderminster, England

my 9 year old daughter and i adored mark, i pray that marks family find strength to cope. he was unique xxx love to all his family and friends.. R.I.P xxxxx

Karen and Chloe Daly, glasgow, scotland

I remember watching marks shows as a young man and thought how great he was at making art fun, and how his sense of humor reached grown ups as well as children. Hope you found happiness where you are now.

LH

Leigh, Shepshed, England

Very sad. I thought Mark was a great presenter and my children and I all loved to watch SMart and learnt a lot from his infectious and open style. He was a natural teacher and communicator. As one or two others have said, I find the sanctimoniousness of some people about this sad tale in relation to drugs extremely distasteful. I do not use drugs myself, but the huge inferential leaps people tend to make suggesting drug use is at the heart of this story just staggers me. Why be so judgemental? It sounds to me as though congenital heart problems may have had more to do with this tragedy than any recreational drug. My thoughts and prayers are with Mark and Natasha's family and close friends. Such a shame.

David, London, UK

I am deeply saddened at what has happened to Mark. My daughter has watched smarteenies for the past couple of years and loved his 'big picture small picture' art work. He was so comical and always had my 3 year old fasinated. It's a shame he didn't realise how popular he was and well liked, enough to have helped him through his bad time. RIP Mark and I know my daughter will sadly miss your work.

Catarina, London, London

It is such a shame, he must of been in such a dark place to take his own life. This is a tragic story, at the very least it shoud teach us how precious life is and how we should not experiment with drugs. It seems to me that so many stars in todays society are relying on drugs to get them through the day.

I cant help thinking that more could of been done for Mark, maybe if he was sectioned (for his safety) or constantly watched over while receiving help.

I hope he finds Natasha now. I will miss his face on T.V

Anthony Griffiths, London, England

I can't really say anything that hasn't already been said..Mark was a lively personality, a great talent, an influence and inspiration to many budding young artists.

It's so sad that he who seemed so full of life for such a long time could meet such a tragic and heartbreaking end.

I hope he's at peace now and in the arms of his beloved Natasha.

My thoughts and prayers go out to both families and i hope in time your pain eases, i know both Natasha and Mark will live forever in everyone's memories..

Ally, Kingston upon Hull, England

even here in Denmark he was a respected tv presenter and he will truly be missed.
may he rest in peace and find his soulmate on the other side

nicolai, copenhagen, denmark

My Four year old daughter loved watching Mark, and I thank him for the joy he gave us and so many others with his obvious talent and sense of fun, our thoughts go out to his family and friends, such a life lives on in the influence he had on those who saw him.

H R Lea-Langton, Leeds, West Yorkshire

This tragic case should be used to save lives as part of a anti-drugs campaign. It is not unique and it is all too common amongst the successful young to believe they are invulnerable.

kevin, Lincoln, UK

When he was reported missing my heart sank and iI wanted him to be found safe and well.Im distraught he has taken his life :( .He was a remarkable man with fantastic tallents.I will miss him on TV and my heart goes out for his family and friends.
Rest in peace Mark.

Gary Fox, Ashford Middlesex,

Sad indeed - but let's not forget the part that drug abuse played in this sorry story of a childrens TV presenter.

David, Sydney, NSW

It is really sad that he thought he could not live without Natasha. A real waste of a life

Sarah G, London,

I'm a regualar viewer of Mark's tv show smart and both me and my sister loved watching Mark draw; he was a great talent. It was always going to be difficult for him to recover from the ordeals he had faced in the last couple of months but i'm greatly saddened to hear of his death. My condolences to his family and friends and all those that knew him.

Sekinat Yusuf, London, UK

Oh God .. He Was Like My Childhood Hero. Im SO Upset Now. He Was A One Of A Kind And The Best Ever! I Loved His Shows And He Was Well Full Of Life. So Sorry To Hear About His Fiancee And Now Him . Just Hope Both Of Them Are Together Now, R.I.P Mark You Will Be Truly Missed.

Llywela, Penygroes, Gwynedd

i feel deeply saddened by this piece of tragic news. My thoughts go out to mark's family and the Collin's family too. sweet dreams mark , i hope you are happy now wherever you are xxxx

fiona, cambridge,

What a terrible and shocking loss, he was such a talented artist and a bright and cheerful presenter. RIP Mark Speight, I wish you weren't gone.

Frederika, Manchester,

This is such a sad story. What a waste of 2 young people.
I can't imagine what the families must be going through.

A J., Edinburgh, Scotland

Im so sorry for both families, its terrible when things like this happen. I used to watch Marks programs and I can't believe he's gone.
We'll miss you Mark.
R.I.P
xxx

Emma, Oldham, Manchester, UK North West

I'm absolutely flawed by his death, it sounds odd as I never knew him, but somehow found his boundless enthusiasm for for a subject when presenting television made me stop and look, even if it was kids TV. He must have been an inspiration for many a young mind. A very tragic loss all round in a very sad chapter. May you find peace.

Chris B, Manchester, UK

im totally lost for words. me and my son use to watch mark on smart and loved his drawing and warm humour. what a tragic thing to happen to someone who although i didnt know seemed to be a lovely person. only the good die young it appears. rest in peace mark you will be sadly missed.

karen harwood, birmingham, united kingdom

Its a real shame that mark took his own life because he was a much loved tv presenter and as i enjoy art myself,i found his work quite enjoyable to watch.
You see alot of things like this happening on the news today and it always seems to be people whom you least expect to take their lives or to die of a natural cause.Mark was a character who was happy everytime you saw him and was a great guy.

I feel most sympathetic for the 2 families who have had to endure the sad loss of their loved ones and i know what it feels like.

Rest in peace Mark.

Tom Davies, Eastleigh, Hampshire

Such a sad loss. He was an inspiration to watch and an even bigger inspiration to work with.

R.I.P

Anthony, Birmingham, United Kingdom

There are rarely heroes in art but Mark was a hero. His generosity of spirit was obvious from the first time you saw him present as was his enthusiasm for all aspects of creativity. An inspirational individual, a light sadly dimmed.

TH, The Hague,

I was totally shocked and saddened to read of Mark's death & the terrible way in which his body had been found. I am someone who has allmost been driven to exit this world over the Inland Revenue who are demanding 6K in taxes that I do not owe - they may take my home to recover the money. RIP Mark to bad we didnt see you and stay with you. Sympathys to all your family.

Peter Dods, london,

My sons grew up waching Mark on TV. He seemed like a warm,caring, funny guy and very talented. Such a tragic waste of such a talent. A very sad loss so very young. He was obviously never going to get over the death of his girlfriend and was so totally distraught over her death. A lot of people are sitting in judgement regarding their lifestyle, but who are we to judge, the only people they did any harm to in the end were themselves.
My hearfelt symapathies and prayers go out to both families,I hope they get some comfort from the fact that Mark was so talented and popular and will be greatly missed.
May Mark & Natasha now Rest in Peace. xx

Jayne, Llandundno, North Wales

i will miss Mark not being on T.V anymore a lot, he was an excellent tv presentator i loved watching him on all his shows, he made me laugh and smile i didn't know him personally but he made me feel happy inside everytime i saw him smile. i will miss him dearly.

i dearly feel sad and assuring the family that i am mourning along side them and will feel this big loss.

i live not that far away from where mark lived when he was growing up. i live in stafford just near Wolverhampton.

R.I.P Mark you will be missed dearly

Vicky Donnelly, Stafford, uk

So shocked by this. Just by watching a few of Mark's programmes i guessed he was one of a kind. RIP

Mark, Cookstown, Ireland

I am completely at a loss for words. I, like many people have been following the story of Marks disappearance since he went missing last monday and am very saddened by the news of his death. i only hope he is now at peace and back in the arms of his soulmate. God bless Mark. xx

Emma Pilarz, Barnstaple, Devon

to the family

Mark was an excellent tv presentator , even me I am 29 yrs old and enjoyed watching him drawing and learning from this person which i never knew personally but in my heart he was my teacher and was a mediator by making me smile while i was watching his program.

I dearly feel sad and assuring the family that i am mourning along them and will feel this big loss.

ashok rajilal, london, uk

How sad!

Lizzie, Houston, TX, USA

I personally feel very saddened by Mark Speight's untimely death. He was a fantastic presenter who had such enthusiasm that he encouraged children to have a go with their art work, my son is testament to this! He now has a real passion for art which I am sure in part is down to him. I too enjoyed watching him. What a tragic waste of such talent. May he now rest in peace with his beloved.

Anstice Neivens, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire