Chris Hyndman, Half Of The Dynamic ‘Steven And Chris,’ Dead At 49

Chris Hyndman, one half of the on-air – and real life – couple that hosted Steven and Chris, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) hot design talk show, has died at 49. The news of Hyndman‘s death was confirmed through a CBC memo to staff Tuesday, August 4. Toronto police confirmed a body was found in an alley at the intersection of Toronto, Ontario, Canada’s Queen Street and Broadview Avenue after 11 p.m. Monday, but would not confirm the identity of the body until early Tuesday morning.

Steven Sabados, Hyndman’s life partner and television co-host, met Hyndman in 1988 while arguing about feminism. The pair founded the design firm The Sabados Group in 1992. CBC arts reporter Eli Glasner said Hyndman’s body was found near where the couple lived in Toronto. Their show, Steven and Chris, was actually the latest in a string of television shows Sabados and Hyndman co-hosted; before Steven and Chris, Hyndman and Sabatos co-hosted Design Guys on HGTV, and So Chic With Steven and Chris, a fashion-oriented show. Steven and Chris has been their eponymous talk show the duo has co-hosted since 2008.

According to the couple’s website, Sabados’ and Hyndman’s work across their various design and fashion-oriented television shows has been featured in 80 countries and even captured the attention of talk show maven Oprah Winfrey, who had Hyndman and Sabados on her show. Hyndman was known as the playful joker to his partner’s more straitlaced approach to their shows. Some media outlets referred to Sabados and Hyndman as “Canada’s gay-lifestyle TV guru couple,” and since their first appearances on television in 1999, the couple had dealt with homophobia and hate mail, an issue which Sabados said in a 2013 interview that Hyndman would take personally.

Steven and Chris executive producer Rick Matthews saw how profound their influence was for many sectors of the population. He noted, in that same 2013 interview, that teen boys who were gay saw Sabados and Hyndman as role models.

“They’re being humble, but they really do touch people’s lives,” Matthews said.

Now, though, there is a police investigation which Toronto police Det. Terry Wray says is “completely open,” though he was quick to add that no comment to the media would be made about what happened to Hyndman until interviews, at the very least, were completed. Fans of Steven and Chris were saddened by Hyndman’s death.

So very sad to hear of Chris Hyndman's death. A great and talented man. Deepest condolences to Steve. Heartbreaking. http://t.co/WhxNnBz4aq

— Lisa LaFlamme (@LisaLaFlamme_) August 4, 2015

So very sad to hear of the passing of Chris Hyndman. He was always laughing, always smiling. A great Newfoundland character.

— Rick Mercer (@rickmercer) August 4, 2015

CBC English Services public affairs head Chuck Thompson said today that Steven and Chris was pulled from the CBC schedule immediately as a result of the tragedy. No statement from Sabados has been released about Hyndman to date.

[Photo by Todd Oren/Getty Images]