Doctor Who actress Elisabeth Sladen has died

Doctor Who actress Elisabeth Sladen has died, the BBC has announced.

The BBC has reported on their official news site that the Doctor WHo actress has passed away, following a battle with cancer. Elisabeth Sladen was best known for her role of Sarah Jane Smith in the BBC science fiction. Sladen joined in 1974, cast as the new companion by producer Barry Letts, and starred alongside Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. While she left the series in 1976 she later returned in 1981 for a one-off special (K-9 and Company) and again in 1983 for the 20th anniversary story, The Five Doctors.

In 2006, following the show’s revival in 2005, Sladen once again reprised her role opposite David Tennant and Billie Piper for the School Reunion episode. Her popular return lead to the CBBC spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures being commissioned. While appearing in the spin-off Sladen made several further appearances in Doctor Who most recently in Tennant’s final story, End of Time – Part Two. A fourth series of The Sarah Jane Adventures aired last year and a fifth was ordered and partially filmed.

 ATV Today willl pay full tribute to Elisabeth Sladen later this week.