Warwick Davis has revealed that he has found love again, just 12 months on from the death of his beloved wife Samantha, who tragically passed away at the age of 53
Actor Warwick Davis has shared that he’s found love again, a year after the passing of his cherished wife. Samantha Davis passed away last March at the age of 53, with Warwick and their two children confirming the heartbreaking news.
The actor recently spoke about a new significant person in his life during a conversation with Jonathan Ross on his chat show. In the interview, set to broadcast on Saturday, Jonathan probed Warwick about his touching BAFTAs speech, where he mentioned an unidentified individual who had been aiding him through his grief.
The Harry Potter star kept details about the new woman in his life under wraps, referring to her only as ‘Sponge’ or ‘She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. ‘ Warwick Davis paid a moving tribute to his dearly departed wife Samantha when he was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship last month, the highest honour from the British Academy.
The Star Wars veteran, 55, emotionally dedicated his award to Samantha. In his powerful speech, Warwick recognised his late wife’s unwavering support throughout his career and expressed his feelings about life after her departure.
“Above all though, I’d like to dedicate and thank my wonderful wife Sammy, who died almost a year ago,” he stated. “She was always so supportive of my career – encouraged me to grab every opportunity with both hands. However, I soon noticed that her level of enthusiasm for me taking a particular role was often relative to how much she wanted that designer handbag.”, reports the Mirror.
Dealing with his grief has been tough, but Warwick has expressed heartfelt thanks to his kids, Annabelle and Harrison, for keeping him engaged with life. Holding back tears, he shared his journey of rediscovering love, stating: “Special mention too should go to Sponge. You know who you are. Thank you for showing me that life can still have meaning and for helping me to laugh and to love again.”
This emotional tribute came shortly after the devastating loss of Warwick’s wife Samantha, who passed away at 53.
In March 2024, he announced the sad news, sharing how her passing created a profound emptiness in their family, in a deeply touching statement. Warwick remembered Samantha as his “most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career”.
The pair had been inseparable for 33 years and shared two children. Their love story sparked on the set of the 1988 film Willow, where Warwick, aged 17, landed the lead role as Willow Ufgood, and Samantha, just 16, was an extra.
It was love at first sight for them. They tied the knot in 1991, four years after their magical meeting, and went on to have four children.
Tragedy struck when their first child, Lloyd, died at just nine days old. Their daughter Anabelle Davis, now 27, has pursued acting like her father, securing roles in Hollyoaks and The Dumping Ground.
Warwick Davis has bravely shared the heartbreaking journey he and his wife Samantha have endured, suffering the loss of their son George during pregnancy after two previous miscarriages. Speaking to Bear Grylls in 2019, Warwick revealed: “Prior to Annabelle and Harrison we had a baby boy, Lloyd, who inherited both our conditions… and that is something that proves fatal.”
He continued, “It’s something that a baby won’t survive. But Lloyd survived for nine days, but yeah he was beautiful. It was a tough time. And yeah, we had a stillborn too.”
Despite the devastation of their losses, Warwick credits these trying times with strengthening the bond between him and Samantha.
Warwick, who lives with a rare genetic disorder known as spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED), defied doctors’ predictions that he’d neither walk nor live past his teenage years. His wife Samantha also faced her own health challenges with achondroplasia, which is the most common type of dwarfism.
Their children, Annabelle and Harrison, inherited SED. In a recent battle, Samantha nearly lost her life to sepsis following surgery in 2018, a harrowing experience that Warwick discussed with The Sun: “I broke down every night thinking that this terrible illness that came out of nowhere might take my soulmate away from me.”
Warwick has recently opened up, confessing that even in 2022, Samantha was grappling with “some PTSD from her experience,” and he too found it tough to deal with. Following the tragic loss of Samantha last year, Warwick took a moment to reflect on her indomitable spirit and joyous nature.
Speaking fondly of his late wife, he shared: “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.”
Also paying tribute to their beloved mum, the kids said: “Mum is our best friend and we’re honoured to have received a love like hers. With her by my side, I was sure I could achieve anything, it was like having a super-power.”
Warwick also acknowledged how pivotal Sammy’s support was for his career accomplishments, confessing: “Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad Series 3. She was passionate about helping people, without judgment. She had time for everyone and a genuine listening ear.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
