British actress Elisabeth Sladen, best known for her role in cult science fiction television series 'Doctor Who', has died aged 63 after a battle with cancer.
Liverpool-born Sladen first appeared on the BBC show in 1973, playing the Doctor's assistant, Sarah Jane Smith.
Sladen, who was married to actor Brian Miller, went on to star in her own spin-off children's show, The Sarah Jane Adventures, the latest series of which was aired late last year.
"I absolutely loved Lis," former Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies, who created The Sarah Jane Adventures, said. "She was funny and cheeky and clever and just simply wonderful."
Doctor Who's lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat paid his tribute.
"'Never meet your heroes', wise people say. They weren't thinking of Lis Sladen," said Moffat.
"Sarah Jane Smith was everybody's hero when I was younger, and as brave and funny and brilliant as people only ever are in stories.
"She was exactly as any child would ever have wanted her to be. Kind and gentle and clever; and a ferociously talented actress but in that perfectly English unassuming way." he added.
