BBC Doctor Who star Julian Holloway's will as daughter is snubbed from inheritance

Daily Record

09-05-2025

The late Carry On star left a huge fortune behind when he passed away earlier this year, aged 80, following a brief illness, and his will has now been revealed.
Julian Holloway, known for his role in Doctor Who, has left the majority of his substantial fortune to his stepson, bypassing his daughter, Sophie Dahl.
The actor, who passed away at the age of 80 in February this year following a brief illness, left behind £493,917, which was later reduced to £480,891 after deductions.
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Sophie and his stepdaughter Kate Gregory were each handed down £25,000, while the lion's share of his £500,000 estate was left to his stepson, Joel Gregory. Joel, who is also the executor of Julian's will, and Kate are the children of his second wife, Debbie Wheeler.
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In his will, Julian expressed his wish for his ashes to be scattered either at Sudbrooke Park Golf Club in Surrey or Lord's Cricket Ground in Westminster, London, as reported in the Mirror.
Sophie, Julian's only child, was born from a short-lived relationship he had with Tessa, Roald Dahl's daughter, in 1976. The late actor shot to fame in 1961 after featuring in the film, Dentist on the Job, and subsequently appeared in various roles in the Carry On franchise, including Simmons in Carry On Doctor, Major Shorthouse in Carry On Up the Khyber and Adrian in the 1970 film, Carry On Loving.
His career spanned nearly six decades, during which he also secured a role in the Doctor Who series, Survival, marking the sci-fi show's first original run. Holloway later featured in an episode of the police drama, The Sweeney, as well as other programmes such as Play for Today, Elizabeth R, Bowler and The Bill.
Julian not only shone in live-action roles but also excelled as a voice actor, primarily in the United States. He is well remembered for voicing Captain Zed in Captain Zed and the Zee Zone.
The Oxfordshire-born star further lent his voice to characters like Bradford Milbanks in the James Bond Jr series.
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Moreover, Julian contributed his voice to characters such as Prime Minister Almex and Admiral Kilian across eight episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. His final acting role was in 2019 when he portrayed Mr Richardson in two episodes of the British Cold War drama Summer of Rockets, which debuted in May of that year and featured actors like Adrian Edmondson, Keeley Hawes, and Rose Ayling-Ellis.
This year saw the passing of Julian, leading to an outpouring of heartfelt tributes from across the entertainment world. Miriam Margolyes took to social media to express her grief: "Oh I am very sad. Wonderful man. Wishing you and all his family long life. Too many going."
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Co-star Sarah Douglas, famed for her role as Ursa in Superman and Superman II, shared her sorrow, stating: "I lost a dear friend yesterday and I'm so, so sad. I have known Julian Holloway since the early 70's and he has been the best of friends to me all these years. Julian was the wittiest of men and we would laugh and laugh.
"He was a friend through thick and thin, first in London then LA then back home again. He was also the associate producer of the Brute (1977) but I had first met him professionally in 1973 on a BBC drama called Secrets. There will be lots written about him and all his wonderful work but right now he is just a dear and sorely missed friend."
Stephanie Beacham added: "Dear dear person, kind and funny. One day he entertained my grandson in his swimming pool while I had to make some calls and helped dress and feed same two year old. A friend. Rest in peace Julian. You will be missed."