Body found in search of missing Channel 4 star
A body has been found in the search of a missing Channel 4 star.
Katherine Watson who appeared in the TV series Geordie Hospital disappeared yesterday. The 50-year-old ex-army officer, often known as Katie, was last seen in the Newcastle area on Thursday afternoon.
Now, Northumbria Police has revealed a body has been found in the search for the star, the Mirror Online reports. There has not yet been formal identification but it is believed that the body is Katherine and her next of kin have been informed, police said.
The ECHO reports an update by police on X: "We have some sad news to share with you. We have sadly found a body in the search for missing Newcastle woman Katherine Watson. The 50-year-old, also known as Katie, was reported missing yesterday. Extensive searches have been carried out since then to locate her.
"Sadly, this morning a body was discovered in the Jesmond Dene area. Formal identification has yet to take place, however it is believed to be Katherine. Her next of kin have been made aware and are being supported by specially-trained officers.
"This is an incredibly sad outcome and our thoughts are with Katherine's loved-ones at this difficult time. We continue to support them and we ask that their privacy is respected. Thank you to everyone who supported our search for Katherine."
Katie served in the army after joining at the age of 18 in 1992. She completed basic training at Army Women's Training Centre in Guilford before moving on to undertake trade training with the Royal Military Police at Chichester.
She completed two operational tours to Bosnia and Croatia in the 1990s and was later deployed as a searcher Corporal in Northern Ireland. Katie then left the army in 2002 and trained with Humberside Probation, before going on an NHS placement in Newcastle five years later. She stayed on permanently and became head of chaplaincy in 2022.
Following news of her disappearance, a now-retired former colleague wrote on social media: "For many of us at Newcastle Hospitals she was our rock during the worst parts of the Covid Pandemic." Another described her as "one of the most wonderful women I have had the pleasure of knowing".