Elisabeth Sladen has sadly passed away, aged 63. The actress was best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Elisabeth, born in Liverpool, made her first appearance as the journalist alongside Jon Pertwee's Doctor in 1973 and worked with Tom Baker when he took on the role in 1975.
She left Doctor Who in 1976, but returned for one episode in 2006 opposite David Tennant. The success of this appearance led to a CBBC spin-off series, The Sarah Jane Adventures.
According to BBC News, she had been suffering from cancer for some time.
The creator of The Sarah Jane Adventures Russell T Davies said: "I absolutely loved Lis. She was funny and cheeky and clever and just simply wonderful. The universe was lucky to have Sarah Jane Smith; the world was lucky to have Lis."
Steven Moffat, Doctor Who's Lead Writer and Executive Producer said: "'Never meet your heroes' wise people say. They weren't thinking of Lis Sladen.
"Sarah Jane Smith was everybody's hero when I was younger, and as brave and funny and brilliant as people only ever are in stories. But many years later, when I met the real Sarah Jane - Lis Sladen herself - she was exactly as any child ever have wanted her to be. Kind and gentle and clever; and a ferociously talented actress, of course, but in that perfectly English unassuming way.
"There are a blessed few who can carry a whole television show on their talent and charisma - but I can't think of one other who's done it quite so politely. I once showed my son Joshua an old episode of Doctor Who, in which Lis appeared. "But that's Sarah Jane," he said, confused "In old Doctor Who. From years ago. How come she always look exactly the same?" It's not a comfort today, of course, but children will still be saying that fifty years from now."
Elisabeth Sladen's other acting work includes Coronation Street. Z-Cars, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and Special Branch.
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