Lynda Bellingham

Lynda Bellingham, OBE (born Meredith Hughes, 31 May 1948-19 October 2014 ) portrayed Inquisitor Darkel in The Trial of a Time Lord, a role in which she reprised in Big Finish's Doctor Who spin-off Gallifrey and the Doctor Who audio story Trial of the Valeyard.

She also narrated the audiobook version of The Mysterious Planet.

She shared her memories of The Trial of a Time Lord on the 71st and 85th editions of Big Finish's charity podcast series Toby Hadoke's Who's Round, both of which were released after her death.

She was also considered for the role of Preston in Warriors of the Deep (TCH 38)

Career
Outside of Doctor Who, she was a familiar face in the Oxo commercials, as well as several successful dramas such as All Creatures Great and Small, Angels and The Bill.

She was a former presenter of the ITV chat show.

Bellingham wrote two memoirs. The first, Lost and Found: My Story, was released on 22 February, 2010 and deals with her life, career, and search for her birth mother. Her second memoir, There's Something I've Been Dying to Tell You, was written following her 2013 cancer diagnosis and was published on 9 October 2014, ten days before her death.

Bellingham also wrote two novels. Her first novel, Tell Me Tomorrow, was released on 29 August, 2013. The Boy I Love, her second and final novel, was released posthumously on 20 November 2014.

She also contributed to the charity reference book Behind the Sofa: Celebrity Memories of Doctor Who.

Personal life
Bellingham was an adopted child.

Bellingham married her first husband, Greg Smith, in the mid-1970s. She was married to Nunzio Peluso from 1981 through 1996; this marriage resulted in two sons, Michael and Robbie Peluso. She was married to Michael Pattemore from 2008 to her death in 2014.

She was awarded an in the 2014 Queen's New Year Honours for her charity work.

Bellingham was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer in July 2013. On 12 August 2014, she chose to halt chemotherapy; she was given a prognosis of eight weeks to live thereafter. She passed away just short of ten weeks later, surrounded by her husband and children.

On 24 September 2015, Michael Pattemore released My Lynda, a memoir of his life with Bellingham.