Jo Martin has announced the tragic death of her grand-nephew Isiah after losing his battle with cancer on Christmas Day aged just 21.
The Holby City actress, Jo Martin, 56, who played neurosurgeon Max McGerry in the axed medical drama, took to Instagram on Sunday as she revealed her heartbreak at the devastating loss.
Alongside a snap of Isaiah she penned: ‘My beautiful Grand Nephew he left us on Christmas morning 2025 RIP Isaiah. Truly heartbreaking only 21. Cancer is a b****’
Later taking to her stories Jo, who also played The Fugitive Doctor in Doctor Who, said her family were equally heartbroken and longed to bring him back.
Fans and famous friends rushed to share their condolences with Doctor Who show-runner Russell T Davies writing: ‘I’m so sorry darling’.
And Holby City co-star David Ames, who played Dominic Copeland, said: ‘Oh Jo I’m so so sorry. It really is. Sending you so much love xxx’.
Amanda Mealing, who played Connie Beauchamp in Holby and Casualty wrote: ‘Oh! Babe, I can feel your heart breaking and there’s nothing we can do. But please know if we could, we would’.
‘All we can offer is to show how deeply you are loved. Please use all or any of us when you want to scream . And have faith you will be embraced unconditionally You have a huge tribe out here and we will catch you, babe. I’m just sorry I can’t change it for you’
While fellow Actress Zawe Ashton added: ‘No? This is a tragedy Jo. I’m so so sorry for your whole family. Prayers for his safe passage’.
It comes after Jo’s fellow Doctor Who star David Tennant has reflected on his Doctor Who debut, recalling the ‘pressure and scrutiny’ for taking on the legendary role.
The Scottish actor, 54, first appeared as The Tenth Doctor on BBC’s screens during the show’s Christmas Special in 2005.
‘You’re in everyone’s living room on Christmas Day. There was a lot of pressure and a lot of scrutiny,’ he said on The Whoniverse Show.
‘But also how joyous to be in the middle.’
The 2005 Christmas special first introduced what would eventually became an annual tradition of Doctor Who’s revival.
But despite the initial pressure, the Harry Potter star said it quickly felt natural to become the Time Lord – as he was a long-time fan of the series.
‘People are always like, ‘Oh, how did you decide how your Doctor was going to be, how you were going to talk? Did you and Russell have long conversations? Did you sit up all night discussing the ins and outs of character choices?’
‘And we absolutely didn’t at all. It just made sense. It didn’t feel like there were conversations to be had.’
Discussing how both he and Russell, 62, had spent their lives watching Doctor Who, David added: ‘I felt like I absolutely understood how he’d written it.
‘When they’re written that well, you just need to say the words. So it was not something that ever felt mysterious to me.’
The actor left Doctor Who in 2010 but returned to the franchise in 2023, coinciding with the show’s 60th anniversary.
His interview comes as his daughter Olive landed a major acting role alongside him in the second season of the Disney+ drama Rivals.
The 14-year-old actress will play Camilla Baddingham, the daughter of David’s character, Lord Tony Baddingham.
According to The Sun, Olive has already begun filming scenes with her father, as well as young actress Amelie Child-Villiers, who will portray her on-screen sister Beatrice Baddingham.
The upcoming season marks the first time David and his daughter will have appeared together on screen.
Confirming the news, a Disney+ spokesperson told the publication: ‘We can confirm that Olive Tennant, alongside fellow actor Amelie Child-Villiers, has been cast in the latest season of Rivals.
‘They will be portraying Tony and Monica Baddingham’s daughters, Beatrice and Camilla.’
This won’t be Olive’s first television role, having previously appeared in the Oscar-nominated 2021 film Belfast and the BBC comedy-drama series Avoidance.