DEBORAH WATLING

(2 January 1948 - 21 July 2017)

The British actress Deborah Watling, who has died from lung cancer at the age of 69, was the daughter of actors Jack Watling and Patricia Hicks. She made her debut at age 11 in the television series William Tell and was then in The Invisible Man and A Life of Bliss. She played the title role in the BBC’s Alice, adapted from Lewis Carroll by Dennis Potter. Much of her career was spent in television, including the part of Victoria, assistant to Patrick Troughton’s Doctor Who, as well as the BBC’s 1960s’ soap The Newcomers. Deborah Watling made a few films including That’ll Be the Day with David Essex and Take Me High with Cliff Richard. Her last appearance was in 2013 in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, a 50th anniversary special tribute to the longevity of the Time Lord. She was first married to Nick Field and then Steve Turner.

MICHAEL DARVELL