MARTIN Clunes has announced the sad death of a Doc Martin co-star live on air – two years after the hit ITV show ended.
played the titular character in the hit drama for 18 years from 2004 until it finally came to an end at Christmas 2022.
The cast also included Caroline Catz as his love interest-turned-wife, Ian McNeice, Joe Absolom, Selena Cadell and John Marquez.
The GP also had a canine companion called Dodger, but during an appearance on on Thursday, Martin shared the sad news that Buddy, who played Dodger, had passed away.
Host said: “Your character was always irritated by his dog but you had quite a good way of getting around that.”;
Martin responded: “Oh Dodger, oh yeah! He was fantastic that boy. Sadly no longer with us.”;
He continued: “That was the joke, I thought... ‘Who hates dogs?’... that someone who hates dogs, but they all love him, and they just hang out with him.”;
Martin then recalled working with Buddy, saying: “So I had to yell at him, throw him around, do all sorts of things but I never shouted really at him.
“I just waved my lips around and added in the shouting later.
“Me and Sonia Turner, his trainer, and Dodger, we just had such fun on that, y’know? Pushing the limits of what we could do with him and he was fabulous.”;
Buddy was diagnosed with doggy and retired during the ninth series of the show.
At the time, Martin said ahead of the tenth and final series: “Dodger who played Buddy is still with us and he’s happy.
“It’s just that his trainer Sonia decided to retire him because he has doggy dementia.”;
Sadly, Buddy passed away in 2023, with Sonia first revealing the sad news on her .
“A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to remember Dodger and send their condolences.
“Tom and I are truly touched and amazed that our little chap had been taken to heart by so many people, both here and abroad. Bless you Dodger.”;
Doc Martin is available on ITVX.
