Doc Martin star Martin Clunes announces death of 'fantastic' co-star live on air
Martin Clunes, who played the titular character in Doc Martin, has announced the death of a co-star from the ITV series while speaking live on air on The One Show
Actor Martin Clunes disclosed on live television the passing of a beloved co-star from the hit series Doc Martin. In a touching tribute during an interview on The One Show, he spoke warmly of his "fantastic" former colleague, whom he worked with over 10 years on the popular ITV show.
Martin fondly remembered working with Dodger, the dog who portrayed his on-screen alter ego, Dr. Martin Ellingham's loyal pet Buddy. The four-legged star joined Doc Martin in its fourth series, which aired in 2009 and continued to feature until the ninth series in 2019.
It was later shared that Dodger had retired after being diagnosed with dementia, and fans learned he would not appear in the show's tenth and concluding series in 2022.
Martin, 63, shared with presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp the sad news about Dodger's recent death. Tributes poured out for the canine actor after his trainer announced his passing on social media in 2023, with Martin honouring him on the BBC programme.
Roman highlighted in the interview: "Your character was always irritated by his dog but you had quite a good way of getting around that," reports the Mirror.
To which Martin responded: "Oh Dodger, oh yeah! He was fantastic that boy. Sadly no longer with us."
He also elaborated on how his character, Dr. Martin Ellingham, humorously detested dogs despite them being drawn to him, saying, "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."
Discussing his time with Dodger on The One Show, he recounted to the hosts: "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."
He went on to say: "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."
It is understood that Sonia announced Dodger's passing on Instagram in 2023. She subsequently shared her appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy following the news.
On the social media platform, she posted: "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."
Martin had previously revealed Dodger's retirement. In a 2022 interview with Yours, he mentioned that the character Buddy had been recast for the final season of Doc Martin.
He explained: "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."
The One Show is on BBC One weekdays at 7pm and on BBC iPlayer. Doc Martin is on ITVX