{"id":25599,"date":"2026-08-02T22:47:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T17:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=25599"},"modified":"2026-08-02T22:47:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T17:47:45","slug":"doc-martin-star-natalia-dontcheva-dies-aged-56-after-long-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=25599","title":{"rendered":"Doc Martin star Natalia Dontcheva dies aged 56 after long illness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"646\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_307212786-7569-e1785689447791.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29282535\" alt=\"A headshot of Natalia Dontcheva\" decoding=\"sync\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Natalia Dontcheva played Julie Derville in the French remake of the Cornwall-set ITV show (Picture: Instagram\/Hugo Selignac)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Natalia Dontcheva, who starred in the French remake of Doc Martin, has died aged 56 after a decade-long illness.<\/p>\n<p>The Bulgarian actress\u2019 stepson and film producer, Hugo Selignac, paid tribute to her on Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>Writing in French alongside a headshot of the late star, he said: \u2018I never liked the title \u201cstepmother\u201d \u2013 because when we met, I was no longer a child, and I\u2019d already had a stepmother before.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018But you have no idea what a truly beautiful person I found you to be, or how deeply I loved who you were.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Thank you for the bond you fought so hard to nurture within our family.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Thank you for the confidence you instilled in me by always looking at me with pride, ever since my teenage years.\u2019<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"475\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_307212671-a825.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=475\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29282536\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>The Bulgarian actress\u2019 stepson, Hugo Selignac, paid tribute to her on Instagram (Picture: Instagram\/Hugo Selignac)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He went on to remark on her relationship with his director father Arnaud Selignac, who was Dontcheva\u2019s partner of 25 years.<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u2018Thank you for helping our dad be a better one, but most of all thank you for caring for him for 25 years, thank you for admiring, caring, supporting, forgiving and most of all loving passionately.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Hinting at Dontcheva\u2019s illness, Selignac concluded: \u2018After a ten-year battle, you are finally going to rest. Enjoy it to the fullest; it\u2019s been so long since you\u2019ve had that chance. I will miss you, my beautiful Natalia.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Dontcheva\u2019s agent Laurent Savry confirmed the star\u2019s death to The Sun, but did not share any further details on the nature of her illness. <\/p>\n<p>He said in a statement: \u2018It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Natalia Dontcheva.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018A profoundly talented artist and woman of great sensitivity, Natalia Dontcheva touched audiences with the precision of her performances, her elegance and her dedication to her craft.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\"\/>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\"\/>\n<p>\u2018Throughout her career, she earned the respect of her co-stars, directors, film crews and all who had the privilege of working alongside her.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Having moved to France to attend an acting conservatory and pursue a career on the stage, Dontcheva was cast as Julie Derville in the French remake of the Cornwall-set ITV show for four years, appearing across 26 episodes.<\/p>\n<p>French broadcaster TF1 adapted the series about a curmudgeonly ex-surgeon with a blood phobia, based in the fictional Breton town of Port-Garrec, as a seaside substitute for Port Wenn.<\/p>\n<p>Her co-star Tatiana Gousseff also shared a tribute on Instagram, posting a photo she took of the actress while they were filming the medical drama in Brittany.<\/p>\n<p>She wrote: \u2018I always had my Argentine Nikon handy, for four seasons, I shot\u2026until I could no longer.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Oh, how we laughed! Such wonderful memories! And how I loved discovering you in the theatre later in the beautiful role of Dorothy Parker\u2026.I am speechless.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/08\/02\/bbc-filmmaker-children-wicker-man-director-justin-hardy-dies-aged-61-29279616\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">BBC filmmaker Justin Hardy dies after heart attack aged 61<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/08\/01\/sopranos-star-vincent-pastore-dies-aged-80-investigation-launched-29277503\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">The Sopranos star Vincent Pastore dies aged 80 as investigation launched<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/30\/glee-actor-hits-fans-make-diabolical-comments-actors-whove-died-29261358\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">Glee actor hits out after fans make \u2018diabolical\u2019 comments about actors who\u2019ve died<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\"><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-comments\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Comment now<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-comment\" href=\"#social-comment\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" class=\"metro-button share-bar-preferred-source\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-preferred-source\" href=\"#social-preferred-source\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n<div class=\"newsletter-end-card accent--tv\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-end-card__inner\">\n<h4>TV Newsletter<\/h4>\n<p>Sign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Natalia Dontcheva played Julie Derville in the French remake of the Cornwall-set ITV show (Picture: Instagram\/Hugo Selignac) Natalia Dontcheva, who starred in the French remake of Doc Martin, has died aged 56 after a decade-long illness. The Bulgarian actress\u2019 stepson and film producer, Hugo Selignac, paid tribute to her on Instagram. Writing in French alongside&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_307212786-7569-e1785689447791_1785691332.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200&h=630&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25599\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}