TORONTO – Steven Sabados issued a statement Friday expressing his “deepest gratitude” for the public’s support after the death of his husband, Chris Hyndman.

Hyndman, who starred alongside Sabados on the daily CBC-TV show “Steven and Chris,” died earlier this week at age 49.

In a statement, Sabados wrote about the 27 years the pair spent together and how Hyndman’s family and friends’ “hearts are broken.”

“From the moment I met Christopher, we went forward in life, side by side and shoulder to shoulder,” Sabados wrote.

“He was my best friend, my confidante, my partner, my one love.

“Over 27 years, we built a beautiful life together; always remembered, always cherished. As we find our way through this difficult time, we are asking for privacy.

“Thank you for your understanding.”

CBC reported Tuesday that Hyndman was found without vital signs in an alleyway just east of Toronto’s downtown core.

No cause of death has been released.

Hyndman’s grieving mother told the Toronto Star that she believes her only child fell to his death while sleepwalking on the terrace of his penthouse apartment.

“Christopher was a sleepwalker, and he did that a lot. He even ate in his sleep,” Glenda Hyndman told the newspaper in a telephone interview from Moose Jaw, Sask.

“He was the most incredible human being and best son you could ever have. I think his light was so bright it just … it just burned out.”