Warwick Davis’ wife dies aged 53

'Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives '

The Star Wars and Harry Potter actor described his later wife as his "favourite human", who passed away on March 24.

Just like her husband, Samantha had been an actor, with the pair having met on the set of Willow in 1988. They married three years later and had three children together.

In a statement to the BBC, Davis said: "Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs."

He went on to describe 'Sammy' as his "most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career'.

"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."

Some of Samantha's acting credits included appearing in the children's series Through the Dragon's Eye and alongside her husband in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Davis also credited her for many of the successes of his career, saying: "Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad Series 3."

He explained that it was his wife who had persuaded Ricky Gervais to send him abroad with Karl Pilkington for the travel series.

Along with her acting work, Samantha was also a charity founder, and set up the dwarfism charity Little People UK in 2012 to help individuals with dwarfism and their families.

Referencing her charity work, Davis said: "She was passionate about helping people, without judgment. She had time for everyone and a genuine listening ear."

The couple's children Harrison and Annabelle also paid tribute alongside their dad, 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," they added.

Davis said that in the last few years his wife's mobility had become impaired but she was "determined that it would not impact her quality of life".