Downton Abbey’s Lesley Nicol has been left heartbroken following husband David Keith Heald’s death
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Downton Abbey star Lesley Nicol has been left heartbroken following the sudden death of her husband David Keith Heald at the age of 76.
Mr Heald worked as a spiritual healer and he was known as Da’aboth Te’He’Ling.
Nicol’s agent Paul Pearson confirmed Heald’s death in a statement.
He said: “I would like to confirm the passing of Lesley’s beloved husband David Keith Heald, known to all his wonderful friends as Da’arboth.”
He continued in a statement to The Sun: “Da’arboth was an amazing, unique and inspirational man who was always at Lesley’s side ‘her warrior’.
“We are all processing this unexpected turn of events and Lesley would like to thank everyone for their loving and kind messages of support.”
The 68-year-old actress, who plays cook Mrs Patmore in the hit BBC period drama and subsequent two films, had been performing her one-woman show in the US.
Nicol and Heald were married in 2007 and lived together in West London.
The star played Mrs Patmore in seasons 1-6 of Downton Abbey which ran from 2010 - 2015.
She appeared in the first Downton Abbey movie in 2019 and recently reprised the role in follow-up Downton Abbey: A New Era which was released last Friday.
Speaking of Nicol’s devastation following her husband’s death, a friend told the newspaper: “Lesley is heartbroken, of course. They were a real couple and team.”
