Louise Jameson fumed over her Doctor Who exit which occurred in 1978.
The 72-year-old, who played Leela – a companion of the Fourth Doctor – in the long-running TV series, has criticised BBC bosses for the way her character was written out of the show 45 years ago. The actress believes the loyal assistant deserved a better ending after falling in love with a native Gallifreyan.
Louise, who currently stars as Mary Goskirk on Emmerdale, said at a BFI Southbank Doctor Who screening: “It was a c**p ending, wasn’t it? I think she should have died saving the Doctor’s life, something really heroic.”
READ MORE: EastEnders icon makes shock TV return after ‘taking a step back’ and fans say same thing
READ MORE: Click for more brilliant Daily Star TV stories
She added: “Or you travel forward and she’s got a football team of children. I mean, it’s so cliché, isn’t it, that she’s fallen in love, that’s how we get rid of her.”
(Image: Mirrorpix)
Show writer Pete McTighe agreed, saying: “For such an iconic character and such an amazing actress – one of the best actresses we’ve ever had in the show – to be married off to a posh Gallifreyan guard she’s had six words with never quite seemed right to me.”
This isn’t the first time the soap star has been frustrated with her on-screen exit. In 1998, Louise made her first appearance as Rosa di Marco in EastEnders.
Louise played the Italian matriarch for more than 200 episodes before she was abruptly written out in 2000. The character died off-screen in 2002, to coincide with her son Beppe’s departure from the square.
Louise has previously expressed her frustration over her character’s sudden exit. Speaking to Inside Soap, she said: “I was annoyed about the way it was announced.
(Image: ExpressStar)
“I was only told the night before it appeared in the papers. I thought they could have run it by me first so I could tell my family. It wasn’t respectful.”
At the time of her departure, Louise shared her disappointment, saying, “I’ll really miss Rosa. It’s like parting from a lover. I can’t help thinking that she’s not quite played out. A fling would have been nice with Frank, or even Roy when he was on Viagra and rampant.”
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
