Sad news came from the Emily in Paris set on Saturday as it was confirmed that assistant director Diego Borella had sadly died while out in Venice for filming of the show's fifth season. It's been reported that Diego was helping to film the final episode of the comedy show when he collapsed in front of fellow crewmembers on Thursday. Local media reports that medics attempted to revive the 47-year-old in the nearby Hotel Danieli, in the centre of the Italian city, but that they were unsuccessful.
A spokesperson for the Venice health service said: "Our ambulance arrived at 18.42 (on Thursday evening). Medics made attempts to resuscitate him. But in the end all efforts proved fruitless. At around 19.30, he was pronounced deceased." It has been speculated that the director had suffered from a heart attack.
Filming for the series was supposed to wrap on Monday, however, it's been reported that filming on the final episode has been halted as a result of Diego's death. The 47-year-old was born in the city and had worked in Rome, New York City and London as a director and writer; he often focused on poetry, folklore stories and children's stories.
Emily in Paris' upcoming season
At the time of his death, Diego was working on the upcoming fifth season of Emily in Paris, which is following show heroine Emily as she relocates from Paris to Rome and Venice. A synopsis for the upcoming season reads: "Now the head of Agence Grateau Rome, Emily faces professional and romantic challenges as she adapts to life in a new city.
"But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires, and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks. Seeking stability, Emily leans into her French lifestyle, until a big secret threatens one of her closest relationships." It's believed that the show will return to Netflix towards the end of the year on 18 December.
The return of the show is already expected to be different as back in April it was confirmed that Camille Razat, who played Camille, would be leaving the show after appearing in its first four seasons. Camille was one of Emily's, played by Lily Collins, main friends in the series and was the former girlfriend of Emily's major love interest, Gabriel.
Show creator, Darren Star, has hinted that Emily and Gabriel's bond will be further explored this series. "I think there’s something about the relationship between Gabriel and Emily that was a little surface-y," he explained to Tudum. "They didn’t know each other that well. It was a little bit of a fantasy for both of them.
"I think this year, it gets a little bit more real in terms of who they are and taking off the rose-coloured glasses about each other." Fans have watched the connection between Emily and Gabriel blossom, stumble, and spark again, and with Camille no longer in the picture, there may finally be space for their relationship to flourish.