The much loved actress Emma Chambers - who starred as the Vicar of Dibley’s dippy verger - has died at the age of 53.
She was best known for playing Alice Tinker in the BBC's gentle sit-com, written by Richard Curtis, about a female vicar and her eccentric parishioners.
Her agent John Grant said Ms Chambers, who also starred in the 1999 film Notting Hill with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, died from natural causes on Wednesday evening and would be "greatly missed".
Mr Curtis, who also wrote Notting Hill, told the Telegraph Ms Chambers was a "fine actress" and was "more than the measure of" both his leading stars Dawn French and Julia Roberts.
“We’re obviously terribly sad. She really was a great, great comedy performer - and a very fine actress. And a tender, sweet, funny, unusual, loving human being," he said.
"In my work she worked opposite Dawn French and Julia Roberts - and was more than the measure of the pair of them.
"I suppose I particularly remember those jokes at the end of each episode of the Vicar of Dibley. They were always done right at the end of the recording - with no time left - and were big feats of complicated remembering - and she was always completely accurate, completely innocent, completely hilarious.
Dawn French, who worked with the comedy star, described her as a ‘unique and beautiful spark’
Emma Chambers, best known for playing Alice Tinker in The Vicar of Dibley, has died aged 53, it was announced on Saturday.
Dawn French, the star of The Vicar of Dibley, described her as “a unique and beautiful spark”.
Her agent said Chambers died of natural causes on Wednesday evening, and said the actor “brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed”. She is survived by her husband Ian Dunn, who is also an actor.
Broadcaster Emma Freud, who was friends with Chambers, tweeted: “We’re very, very sad. She was a great, great comedy performer, and a truly fine actress. And a tender, sweet, funny, unusual, loving human being.
“How could you not love this girl,” she added, posting a video of her work.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Emma Chambers, left, with Gary Waldhorn and Dawn French in The Vicar of Dibley. Photograph: Alamy
French posted a humorous photograph of herself and Chambers on Twitter and said that she loved her a lot.
Dawn French (@Dawn_French) I was regularly humped like this by the unique & beautiful spark that was Emma Chambers. I never minded. I loved her. A lot . pic.twitter.com/imzkoyKja9
Chambers also appeared in the 1999 film Notting Hill as Hugh Grant’s younger sister, Honey, and the actor reacted to the news, tweeting that she was “a hilarious and very warm person”.
Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) Emma Chambers was a hilarious and very warm person and of course a brilliant actress. Very sad news.
Her agent, John Grant, said: “We are very sad to announce the untimely death, from natural causes, of the acclaimed actress Emma Chambers.
“Over the years, Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work. She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed.”
Grant added: “At this difficult time we ask that the privacy of the family and loved ones be respected.”
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Vicar of Dibley's Alice Tinker: "I can't believe it's not butter"
Actors Dawn French and Hugh Grant have led tributes to their former co-star Emma Chambers, who has died aged 53.
Known for playing Alice Tinker in The Vicar of Dibley, Doncaster-born Chambers also had roles in Notting Hill and a Martin Chuzzlewit adaptation.
Chambers died from natural causes on Wednesday evening and would be "greatly missed", her agent John Grant said.
"Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work," he added.
She leaves a husband, fellow actor Ian Dunn.
French, who starred in The Vicar of Dibley alongside Chambers for 13 years, paid tribute to a "very bright spark and the most loyal and loving friend anyone could wish for".
"I will miss her very much", she said, while also posting a picture of the pair on Twitter.
Skip Twitter post by @Dawn_French I was regularly humped like this by the unique & beautiful spark that was Emma Chambers. I never minded. I loved her. A lot . pic.twitter.com/imzkoyKja9 — Dawn French (@Dawn_French) February 24, 2018 Report
Notting Hill star Hugh Grant, who played the older brother of Chambers' character Honey in the 1999 film, spoke of his sadness following the news, adding: "She brought laughter and joy to many."
Other well-wishers included Emma Freud, the partner of Richard Curtis, who created both the film and the TV comedy.
Skip Twitter post by @emmafreud Our beautiful friend Emma Chambers has died at the age of 53. We're very very sad. She was a great, great comedy performer, and a truly fine actress. And a tender, sweet, funny, unusual, loving human being. pic.twitter.com/vLQcRcv2Ex — emma freud 🔴 (@emmafreud) February 24, 2018 Report
Skip Twitter post by @HackedOffHugh Emma Chambers was a hilarious and very warm person and of course a brilliant actress. Very sad news. — Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) February 24, 2018 Report
Skip Twitter post by @JeremyClarkson I'm sad about Emma Chambers. Knew her when she was a kid in Doncaster. She was very funny. — Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) February 24, 2018 Report
Chambers played the character of Alice Tinker, a village church verger, in The Vicar of Dibley between 1994 and 2007, with French in the title role.
In 1998, she won the British Comedy Award for best TV actress for her performance.
Jon Plowman, executive producer of the series and former head of comedy at the BBC, described Chambers as "bright and clever".
He said: "Emma was a gifted comic actress who made any part she played - no matter how ditzy or other worldly - look easy."
'It was a joy'
Chambers would go over every line to make sure she got the rhythm and the tone of the lunatic she was playing, says Paul Mayhew-Archer, co-writer of the Vicar of Dibley.
He told BBC Radio 5 live that despite most comedy series having an idiot, "she made Alice a completely unique, very special idiot".
"The joy of the scenes with Emma and Dawn is they never went wrong, so you just got these wonderful first takes - so you got all that original energy transferred straight on to the screen - it was a joy."
Image caption Chambers was known for playing Alice Tinker in The Vicar of Dibley, alongside Dawn French
Image caption She was named best TV comedy actress in 1998 for her portrayal of Alice
Image caption She appeared as Charity Pecksniff (right) in a BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit
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Tributes pour in for Emma Chambers who died aged 53 (Picture: REX)
Tributes have been pouring in for Emma Chambers who passed away aged 53.
The Vicar Of Dibley star died on Wednesday evening from natural causes, her agency confirmed.
Since the news broke, people have taken to Twitter to express their love and pay their respects to the British actress.
Emma’s Vicar of Dibley co-star Dawn French shared a picture of them both with a caption that read: ‘I was regularly humped like this by the unique & beautiful spark that was Emma Chambers. I never minded. I loved her. A lot.’
I was regularly humped like this by the unique & beautiful spark that was Emma Chambers. I never minded. I loved her. A lot . pic.twitter.com/imzkoyKja9 — Dawn French (@Dawn_French) February 24, 2018
Hugh Grant who performed alongside Chambers in the 1999 film Notting Hill called the 53-year-old a ‘brilliant actress’.
He said: ‘Emma Chambers was a hilarious and very warm person and of course a brilliant actress. Very sad news.’
The Crown’s Samantha Baines wrote to her followers: ‘So sad to hear that # emmachambers has passed away! Those joke moments at the end of the Vicar of Dibley were amazing to a young girl who dreamt of being funny on tele (sic).’
Emma Chambers was a hilarious and very warm person and of course a brilliant actress. Very sad news. — Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) February 24, 2018
So sad to hear that #emmachambers has passed away! Those joke moments at the end of the Vicar of Dibley were amazing to a young girl who dreamt of being funny on tele pic.twitter.com/WCUEatwoZ3 — Samantha Baines (@samanthabaines) February 24, 2018
She was joined by Jodie Marsh, who also paid tribute to Emma.
She said: ‘Such terribly sad news about Emma Chambers. Notting Hill is one of my favourite films of all time and she is so stunningly superb in it. That film makes me laugh & cry, as does her performance in it. RIP Emma (sic).’
Actor James Dreyfus, who appeared alongside Emma in Notting Hill, wrote: ‘RIP the wonderful and talented Emma Chambers. Unique,& unspeakably funny. Too young. Thoughts with her family (sic).’
Following the news of her death, her agency released a statement that read: ‘Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work. She brought laughter and joy to many.’
RIP the wonderful and talented Emma Chambers. Unique,& unspeakably funny. Too young. Thoughts with her family. X — James Dreyfus (@DreyfusJames) February 24, 2018
Such terribly sad news about Emma Chambers. Notting Hill is one of my favourite films of all time and she is so stunningly superb in it. That film makes me laugh & cry, as does her performance in it. RIP Emma 💔 — Jodie Marsh (@JodieMarsh) February 24, 2018
Our beautiful friend Emma Chambers has died at the age of 53. We're very very sad. She was a great, great comedy performer, and a truly fine actress. And a tender, sweet, funny, unusual, loving human being. pic.twitter.com/vLQcRcv2Ex — emma freud (@emmafreud) February 24, 2018
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