Wednesday, 20 April 2011

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Stephen Fry leads celebrity tributes to late Doctor Who star Elisabeth Sladen

Celebs express sadness after actress Elisabeth Sladen loses cancer fight

Elisabeth Sladen starred opposite Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker in Doctor Who

Celebrity tributes have been flooding in for Doctor Who actress Elisabeth Sladen after she lost her long battle with cancer yesterday morning.

The 63-year-old starred as The Doctor's assistant between 1973 and 1976 and from 2007 she was given her own CBBC spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures.

'What terribly sad news about Elisabeth Sladen,' actor and comedian Stephen Fry, 53, Tweeted last night. 'Her Sarah Jane was part of my childhood. Deepest sympathy to her family.'

John Barrowman, 44, who appeared alongside Elisabeth in Doctor Who when she made a cameo in 2006, has also Tweeted a tribute: 'Elisabeth Sladen Matriarch of Dr Who I loved my time on the Tardis with her I am proud to have worked with such an icon of the sci fi world.

'Your Dr Who family are very sad and will miss you and your beautiful smile. jb.' 

Matt Smith is the current Doctor and starred alongside the late actress in the fourth series of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

'What struck me about Lis was her grace. She welcomed me, educated me, and delighted me with her tales and adventures on Doctor Who,' Matt, 28, tells the BBC.

'And she also seemed to have a quality of youth that not many people retain as they go through life. Her grace and kindness will stay with me because she had such qualities in abundance and shared them freely.

'I will miss her, as will the world of Doctor Who and all the Doctors that had the good pleasure to work with Lis Sladen and travel the universe with Sarah Jane.'

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Esme Riley