Actors Dawn French and Hugh Grant have led tributes to their former co-star Emma Chambers, who has died aged 53.
Known for playing Alice Tinker in The Vicar of Dibley, Doncaster-born Chambers also had roles in Notting Hill and a Martin Chuzzlewit adaptation.
Chambers died from natural causes on Wednesday evening and would be “greatly missed”, her agent John Grant said.
“Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work,” he added.
She leaves a husband, fellow actor Ian Dunn.
French, who starred in The Vicar of Dibley alongside Chambers for 13 years, paid tribute to a “very bright spark and the most loyal and loving friend anyone could wish for”.
“I will miss her very much”, she said, while also posting a picture of the pair on Twitter.
I was regularly humped like this by the unique & beautiful spark that was Emma Chambers. I never minded. I loved her. A lot . pic.twitter.com/imzkoyKja9 — Dawn French (@Dawn_French) February 24, 2018
I was regularly humped like this by the unique & beautiful spark that was Emma Chambers. I never minded. I loved her. A lot . pic.twitter.com/imzkoyKja9
— Dawn French (@Dawn_French) February 24, 2018
Notting Hill star Hugh Grant, who played the older brother of Chambers’ character Honey in the 1999 film, spoke of his sadness following the news, adding: “She brought laughter and joy to many.”
Other well-wishers included Emma Freud, the partner of Richard Curtis, who created both the film and the TV comedy.