Holby City's Rosie Marcel: 'My Stalker Hell Almost Drove Me to Suicide'

Holby City star Rosie Marcel has revealed that she considered taking her life after being subjected to a campaign of terror by a death-threat stalker.

The 35-year-old actress, who plays surgeon Jac Naylor in the hospital-based drama, was sent menacing online messages during 2011 by 21-year-old student Sarah Rumbelow.

Rumbelow sent Marcel rape and death threats on Facebook and Twitter after becoming obsessed with her fiercely ambitious character on the show.

Opening up about her ordeal for the first time in an interview with Hello! the flame-haired beauty admitted that Rumbelow drove her to such a dark place that she wanted to commit suicide.

"I was in fear of my life. I felt lost, like I didn't know who I was. I didn't recognise myself," she told the magazine.

"I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. It got to a point where one day I thought, 'I'll just walk out into the road,'" says Rosie, who believes that stalking should be taken more seriously in this country.

Marcel insists that it was the love of her boyfriend, gym owner Ben Stacey, which saved her life.

She continued: "He is responsible for putting happiness back in my life when I was going through a terrible, terrible time. Ben also helped me feel better about myself when I had lost all my self-confidence."

Last month, Rumbelow was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to putting a person in fear of violence by harassment.

Marcel admits that although she has finally found justice, she is still left with the emotional scars.

"The vile, disgusting messages from the stalker played havoc with our lives. I was guilt-ridden. I felt like I was putting everyone in my family under stress. It got so bad I blamed myself for it," she said.