Warwick Davis' wife Samantha dies aged 53 as he issues statement

Warwick Davis's wife Samantha has tragically died aged 53. In a statement, Warwick - who hosts ITV Tenable - described his late wife as his "most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career".

Warwick announced the news in a statement shared to the BBC, revealing she had died on 24 March. "Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs," Warwick said. "She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes."

He added that she was his "most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career". Their two children together, Annabelle and Harrison, also paid tribute to their mother, saying: "Her love and happiness carried us through our whole lives. Mum is our best friend and we're honoured to have received a love like hers."

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The couple met on the set of George Lucas's film Willow and married three years later in 1991. "With her by my side, I was sure I could achieve anything, it was like having a super-power," Mr Davis said. "Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad Series 3."

He added it had been his wife who persuaded comedian Ricky Gervais to send him with Karl Pilkington for the travel series. "She was passionate about helping people, without judgment. She had time for everyone and a genuine listening ear," the Tenable host said.

Samantha and Warwick, who played the title character in Willow (1988) and the Leprechaun film series (1993–2003), several characters in the Star Wars film series (1983–2019), most notably Wicket the Ewok, and Professor Filius Flitwick and the goblin Griphook in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011), co-founded Little People UK in 2012 to help individuals with dwarfism and their families.