Esta TerBlanche had been trying to get back into acting . The actress, best-known for , died suddenly at on Thursday at the age of 51, it was announced today. Medical responders believe she had been dead in the property for around a day before she was discovered.

Esta's cause of death is currently under investigation, according to her representative Lisa Rodrigo. Only five days before her tragic death, Esta revealed that she was looking to return to the soap opera world, after taking a break from acting over the last 23 years. The star also hinted that she was working on a project with her co-star Cameron Mathison.

Speaking to about returning to the screen, she said: “It’s definitely something I would like to get back into." Esta stepped away from Hollywood after her character, Gillian, was killed off on the hit US series. The actress moved back to her home country of South Africa, opened her own spa and developed her off-screen TV skills, working on several documentaries.

Later in the interview, Esta reflected fondly on her time starring in the soap. She said: "The people I worked with were all so wonderful. It was such a privilege to be on the show.

" Describing her long friendship with Cameron, Esta hinted that the duo may have been working together on an upcoming project. Speaking about how she had spent time with her co-star and his beloved dog recently, she said: “I saw Cameron recently; I was babysitting his beautiful dog Red, who had cancer, and he was doing ever.