'I miss her hugs': Warwick Davis's tribute to wife

Samantha Davis, founder of dwarfism charity Little People UK and wife of actor Warwick Davis, has died at the age of 53.

In a statement, the Star Wars actor paid tribute to his "favourite human", who died on 24 March.

The couple met on the set of the film Willow in 1988, before marrying three years later.

"Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs," Mr Davis said.

The Harry Potter star described Sammy, as he called her, as his "most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career".

"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," he said.

The couple's children, Harrison and Annabelle, joined their father in paying tribute, saying "her love and happiness carried us through our whole lives".

"Mum is our best friend and we're honoured to have received a love like hers," they added.

Mrs Davis was an actor herself appearing in the children's series Through the Dragon's Eye (1989) and alongside her husband in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2010).

"With her by my side, I was sure I could achieve anything, it was like having a super-power," Mr Davis said.

"Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad Series 3."

He added it had been his wife who persuaded comedian Ricky Gervais to send him with Karl Pilkington for the travel series.

Outside of acting, Mrs Davis and her husband founded the charity Little People UK in 2012 to help individuals with dwarfism and their families.

"She was passionate about helping people, without judgment. She had time for everyone and a genuine listening ear," the Tenable host said.

Mr Davis said in recent years his wife's mobility had become impaired but she was "determined that it would not impact her quality of life".

Disney, the network the Willow series is on, said Mrs Davis was "beloved member of the UK film and TV community", adding: "Our thoughts are with the Davis family during this difficult time".