The public is in shock following the news that beloved actress Emma Chambers has tragically passed away aged just 53. She is thought to have suffered a heart attack. The star, who was best known for her roles as the dim-witted but loveable Alice in The Vicar of Dibley and the passionate Honey in Notting Hill, was married to Ian Dunn, a famous actor who is a regular on television, with acting credits including Outlander, Holby City, Silent Witness, Waking the Dead and Coronation Street. The couple wed in 1991, and Emma once opened up about the day they tied the knot, telling the Independent: "My wedding was very short. I was playing the lead in an Alan Ayckbourn play and was only given one day off."
Emma passed away aged 53
She continued: "My sister, Sarah Doukas, is a model agent and one of her bookers made me a dress which cost £180. I still look at it in my wardrobe and think it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The wedding itself was in the New Forest. I loved it because I had never had a big party before as we had always been on the move when I was a child. My father wasn't there for personal and geographical reasons – he lived in Australia. But I had been living with Ian [McKellen] and he was a sort of father figure to me. We didn't have a honeymoon. I was back at work on the Monday."
READ: Emma Chambers cause of death revealed as suspected heart attack
Emma in Notting Hill
Although Ian has yet to share a public message following Emma's devastating passing, her death was confirmed by her management service, who wrote: "Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work. She brought laughter and joy to many." Her friends and colleagues took to social media to pay tribute, with Hugh Grant writing: "Emma Chambers was a hilarious and very warm person and of course a brilliant actress. Very sad news." Dawn French wrote: "I was regularly humped like this by the unique & beautiful spark that was Emma Chambers. I never minded. I loved her. A lot."