Former Doctor Who actress Deborah Watling has died at the age of 69, following a short battle with cancer. Deborah was best known for her portrayal of Victoria Waterfield, the companion of second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, in 1967. The actress was diagnosed with lung cancer six weeks before her death.
Following the sad news, fans flocked to social media to pay their respects. On Twitter, one wrote: "We're saddened to report the death of the much-loved Deborah Watling, who played the Second Doctor's companion Victoria Waterfield. RIP." Another tweeted: "Sad to read that Deborah Watling has died! One of the best Doctor Who companions," while a third added: "It’s a truly sad day The lovely Deborah Watling has left us we shared some laughs precious moments. Star light shine bright xx."
Doctor Who actress Deborah Watling has died at the age of 69
Deborah was born into an acting family. The daughter of film star Jack Watling and actress Patricia Hicks, she began her career as a child actress at the age of nine, when she starred in The Invisible Man as the niece of Peter Brady. Other roles included main character Alice in the 1965 adaption of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and co-starring alongside singer Cliff Richard in Take Me High back in 1973.
After acting in Doctor Who from 1967 to 1968, Deborah followed up with appearances in Dimensions in Time in 1993 and Downtime in 1995. She also took part in in Three’s a Crowd, a Doctor Who audio drama, and was a regular at Doctor Who conventions.
Deborah, who lived in Thorpe-le-Stoken at the time of her death, leaves behind her husband, Steve.