Dame Patricia Routledge recently opened up on her decision to step away from her role as Hyacinth Bucket in the BBC hit sitcom Keeping Up Appearances – issuing a dig at the BBC whilst doing so.
Routledge starred alongside Clive Twist, Geoffrey Hughes and Judy Cornwell, and quickly became a fan-favourite as the social-climbing snob before departing from the series in 1995.
The star recently recalled how the character of Hyacinth Bucket first entered her life as she looked back on the part she played in bringing to life one of TV’s most formidable comedy characters.
She described the pleasures of working with her fellow cast members and shared her thoughts on why Hyacinth’s husband Richard endured all the years with his social-climbing wife.
Routledge also touched on why she decided to call time on the show – despite many wanting it to continue – and said during a BBC Four documentary: “Well, I brought it to an end, which, of course, the BBC didn’t care for very much.”
Issuing a dig at the BBC’s content creation, she went on: “I thought the writer was beginning to recycle old ideas.
“And also, remembering the glorious Ronnie Barker, he always stopped when he was at the height of something and he always left with people saying, ‘Oh, aren’t you doing any more?’ Rather than people saying, ‘Is that still on?’
“That’s the place to be, really, and I had other adventures to explore.
“I’m an actress, and I wanted to take on the stories of other people.”
Despite leaving the show, Routledge continued to express how “amazed” she was by the “enormity” of Keeping Up Appearances’ success 30 years after its final episode.
Speaking about what made her want to play the socialite in the first place, the Talking Heads star added: “I had opened the script for a moment at one o’clock in the morning, read straight through and Hyacinth leapt off the page.
“I knew that woman, I knew several of that woman. When (the producer) mentioned Clive Swift, I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, how wonderful. Now we really are in business’.”
Since her long-running stint on the BBC series, Routledge has kept a low profile in terms of acting but has continued to support her fellow acting colleagues throughout the years.
Earlier this year, she rubbed shoulders with Queen Camilla and many other acting legends to celebrate the work of William Shakespeare and didn’t seem to be growing tired of talking about her most famous role.
She discussed the similarities between herself and Hyacinth and joked: “Apart from two arms, two legs, two eyes, a nose and a mouth, I sincerely hope not! It’s what acting’s all about.
“Just because I may play a murderer doesn’t mean I have to commit a murder – you just play a part.”
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In 2017, Patricia was honoured for her services to entertainment and charity and was later awarded a Damehood by Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2022, she received another honour when she was given honorary membership for the Royal Academy of Music at a special service at London’s Freemason Hall.
