Elisabeth Sladen (1946 - 2011)

As many of you know, Elisabeth Sladen passed away on the 19th of April after a battle with Cancer. Being the woman she was, she only told her family and a few close friends because "She didn't want her fans to worry about her." That in itself says a lot about her character. 

Her death affected me a lot more then I thought it would. It certainly hit me a lot harder then the recent passing of Nicholas Courtney, as you can tell by the fact it took me this long just to be able to write this without tearing up. For me, it was like losing a member of the family. Her death is the first time ever I cried over losing someone I didn't know personally. 

Being born at the tail end of Sylvester McCoy's time as the Doctor, my viewing of Doctor Who consisted solely of whatever episode the BBC felt like showing. Nine times out of ten, it was a serial with Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen. I was brought up with that Doctor/Companion team, and right up until 2005, it was what I thought of when I thought of Doctor Who. I always assumed that all the other companions were like her, so it was a shock when I saw another team which, while good in their own right, paled in comparsion. 

Then 2006 came along, and Sarah Jane returned to Doctor Who. By then, it was David Tennant and Billie Piper in the TARDIS. . I looked forward to that episode more then any of the others that series because "Sarah Jane's coming back". I enjoyed her interactions with David Tennant, Billie Piper and Noel Clark, and I remember thinking "I wish she'd gone off with them instead of Mickey." Though my wish didn't come true, the next best thing happened.

The Sarah Jane Adventures. 

I'll admit it. I didn't watch it at first because I thought it would be a dumbed down version of Doctor Who. But then on the spree of the moment, I bought "Invasion of the Bane" and, after watching it, instantly changed my mind and bought the First and Second Series on DVD. After watching them, I patiently waited for CBBC to show the Third Series and after that, the Fourth Series. Before her untimely death, she completed work on three more episodes. I hope that the BBC shows them, as they are her last contribution to the official Doctor Who Universe.

People close to me know how much I loved her. When my Gran first asked why I want to play the Last Doctor, I instantly replied with "So I can work with Elisabeth Sladen." There is a reason that when I was writing my DWFA scripts, I knew from the beginning that she was going to the Tenth Doctor's Companion. She had an energy about her that belied her years and I know that never getting the chance to meet her, along with the Brigadier, will be one of the biggest regrets of my life.

Goodbye... my Sarah Jane.