DOC MARTIN ACTRESS NATALIA DONTCHEVA DIES AGED 56

Natalia Dontcheva, a Bulgarian actress who played Julie Derville in the French version of ITV's Doc Martin, has died aged 56, her agent Laurent Savry confirmed. She had been suffering from a decade-long illness prior to her death. The cause of death was not disclosed. Dontcheva took the role in 2011 and featured in the French remake for four years.

Following her death, those who worked with her paid tribute to her career and character. Her stepson Hugo Selignac wrote on Instagram that she was "a truly beautiful person" and thanked her for the bond she had nurtured within their family. Co-star Tatiana Gousseff shared a photograph taken during filming in Brittany and recalled "such wonderful memories" and "how we laughed" across the four seasons they worked together. Laurent Savry described Dontcheva as "a profoundly talented artist and woman of great sensitivity" who had earned the respect of her co-stars, directors and crew throughout her career.

Dontcheva's death marks the loss of a performer who dedicated herself to her craft across a career in which she worked alongside numerous collaborators in film and television production.