Tragedy as Home and Away actress Cathy Godbold dies aged 43 after a battle with brain cancer

Actress Cathy Godbold. Photo / Supplied

Actress Catherine Godbold, best known for her role as Deborah Hale Regnery on The Saddle Club, has died at the age of 43, a family spokesperson has confirmed.

The young star was diagnosed with brain cancer in May 2007 before The Saddle Club was picked up for a third season, said the Daily Mail.

"Cathy" as she was nicknamed, had the tumour removed and began radiotherapy.

But more than a decade later Godbold has succumbed to the disease, Nine News reports.

At the time she said: "It was a terrible shock to find out I was ill. Because I am young and healthy I have a much better chance of beating it. I want to get healthy and get back to work as soon as possible. I feel tired as the treatment does knock you for six."

During her time playing attractive journalist Deborah Hale on The Saddle Club, her character falls in love with the stables owner, Max Regnery.

According to Saddle Club TV, Godbold said the best part about working on the series for 32 episodes was her cast mates.

"The three young stars treat me like I am their older sister, coming to me for advice and telling me about teenage crushes but the best part of working with so many children are the hugs I get all day," she said.

Her mother is well-known Australian television and radio personality Rosemary Margan and her father is a television director.

"The world of entertainment was almost inbred; I was surrounded by it all my life, going to the television studios with my mother and always hearing stories about the industry. I always knew I wanted to be part of it," Godbold said.

She studied acting for many years, did three years of classical ballet, tap and jazz and won a singing scholarship to the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts.

Godbold was the youngest singer ever to be accepted into this college but had to cut her course short when she was offered a role in iconic television series Home and Away.

She played Meg Bowman on the soapie, who dies on the beach in the arms of her boyfriend Blake Dean, played by Les Hill, from leukemia.

It is still considered one of the most memorable scenes in the show's long history.

Godbold occasionally posted some of her old acting clips to Facebook, and even spoke about "not remembering" filming the scenes after she was diagnosed with brain cancer.