Downton Abbey star Lesley Nicol has confirmed her beloved husband David Heald has died.
Lesley, who starred as Mrs Patmore in the Downton Abbey films, paid tribute to her husband in a statement released by her agent.
David was a spiritual healer and was known to his friends as Da’arboth.
Lesley Nicol husband
Lesley’s agent Paul Pearson told The Sun: “I would like to confirm the passing of Lesley’s beloved husband David Heald, known to all his wonderful friends as Da’arboth.
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“Da’arboth was an amazing, unique and inspirational man who was always at Lesley’s side ‘her warrior’.”
He added: “We are all processing this unexpected turn of events and Lesley would like to thank everyone for their loving and kind messages of support.”
Meanwhile, a friend of Lesley’s told the publication that she’s “heartbroken” over the death of her husband.
The friend said: “Lesley is heartbroken, of course. They were a real couple and team.
“She was mobbed by fans around the world but he was not only her husband but her protector and biggest love. They had a very strong bond and love.
“He was her biggest champion and always loved her success in recent years.”
The pal added that David was the “most modest and kind man” who was “always happy his wife was in the spotlight”.
Downton Abbey film
Lesley recently reprised her role as Mrs Patmore in Downton Abbey: A New Era, which was released on April 29.
Speaking about the new film, Lesley told Entertainment Tonight: “It’s absolutely jam-packed full of stuff.
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“There’s so much going on. I mean, it’s funny. I laughed out loud a lot. There’s stuff that made me cry because there’s some romance and stuff you don’t expect.
“I suppose that’s what I also love about it. I mean, I know what happens, but there’ll be stuff that the audience couldn’t possibly foresee.”
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