A British actress who has appeared in Eastenders, The Bill and Casualty has died backstage after finishing a theatre performance, with colleagues paying tribute to the star after the “deeply tragic” event.
Josephine Melville, who played Tessa Parker - the girlfriend of Kelvin Carpenter - for eight episodes of EastEnders in 1986, died after coming off stage in Nottingham, where she was appearing in a production of Nine Night.
A medic in the audience rushed to help the accomplished actress, director, producer and writer, but she died at the Nottingham Playhouse after paramedics also battled to save her.
As well as her star turn in Eastenders, the Essex-born actor also appeared in classic British TV dramas The Bill and Casualty.
Nottingham Playhouse cancelled all remaining performances of Nine Night and paid tribute to a “wonderful and well-loved person”.