The daytime television presenter Kristian Digby, who has been found dead aged 32, will be remembered as one of that new generation of gay men whose sexuality was neither a hindrance to, nor the single trick of, their evident talent.

Kristian appeared in a 2006 television documentary I made for the BBC called The Trouble With Gay Men. I had interviewed gay teenagers about gay men on television. They loved Graham Norton, but also reserved special admiration for Kristian. "He's not too camp, which is fantastic," said one. "You see someone like him and it's nice to see something new, rather than the screaming fairy."

In response, Kristian said something which is anathema to some sections of the gay world. He said that in his life he wanted "a nice gay role model". I assumed that is what he hoped to be. He admitted he did a "light and fluffy" TV product, but explained: "I don't have to do innuendo and keep referring to my sexuality all the time and making it blatantly obvious that I am gay, because it's not that important."

Ambitious, intelligent and articulate, he explained in our conversations that he was determined to present to the world the face of a gay man who was in some senses very ordinary. "I love gay culture," he said. "But we need to show that we're more diverse. We keep limiting ourselves."

He was born and grew up in Torquay, Devon, and his dyslexia proved a struggle for both himself and his family. Kristian credited Bramdean school, which he attended from the age of 14, and Exeter college, where he did his A-levels, for seeing his potential and changing his prospects, along with support from his parents.

The art teacher at Exeter college suggested the possibilities of TV. He arrived in London in 1995 to study film, video and photographic arts at the University of Westminster, and soon started making short films. In 1997, his short Words of Deception made him the youngest ever winner of the Junior Bafta award and, the following year, Last Train to Demise won the Melbourne film festival's award for best student film.

He began to pick up TV work for LWT and ITV, and directed shows including She's Gotta Have It, Big Strong Boys, Fantasy Rooms and Girls On Top. He moved in front of the camera to become one of four presenters on the lifestyle programme That Gay Show, commissioned for BBC Choice and screened in 2001.

Kristian came from a family of property developers, and began to specialise in programmes about real estate. In 2003, he directed The Million Pound Property Experiment and graduated to presenting BBC1's daytime show To Buy Or Not to Buy, which offers potential house buyers the opportunity to try out a property. Last year, he presented To Build Or Not to Build, which followed the construction of his own dream house in east London.

In 2006, Kristian drew on his experience with dyslexia to make a documentary, Hiding the Truth: I Can't Read, in which he brought the magic of reading to three people who never had.

Liam Keelan, the controller of BBC Daytime, said: "Kristian was without doubt one of the most popular and talented presenters on BBC Daytime. He cared passionately about the programmes he presented and viewers loved the charm and warmth he brought to every one of his shows."

Kristian is survived by his parents, Paula and David.

• Kristian Scott Edwin Digby, television presenter and film-maker, born 24 June 1977; died 1 March 2010

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