Warwick Davis has announced the death of his wife of more than 30 years, Samantha, at the age of 53.

On Wednesday evening, the Star Wars performer shared a statement with BBC News confirming that Samantha, a fellow actor and the founder of the charity Little People UK, had died on 24 March.

Describing his wife as his “most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career”, Warwick said: “Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs.”

He continued: “She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes.”

“With her by my side, I was sure I could achieve anything, it was like having a super-power,” he added. “Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad series three.”

Warwick and Samantha met in 1988 on the set of the film Willow, in which he played the titular sorcerer, and eventually married in 1991.

Their grown-up children, Harrison and Annabelle, told the BBC their mother’s “love and happiness carried us through our whole lives”.

Warwick and Samantha also had a son, Lloyd, who died just days after he was born, and another, George, who was stillborn.

As well as her charity work, Samantha appeared in the children’s TV show Through The Dragon’s Eye, and shared the screen with her husband in films like the comedy-horror Leprechaun 2 and the final film in the Harry Potter series.

She and her family also appeared in the ITV travel series Weekend Escapes With Warwick Davis in 2014.