Following the sad news of Dame Patricia Routledge's passing today, tributes are being paid to her phenomenal performances in works such as Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Talking Heads, Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, and her iconic sitcom Keeping Up Appearances. Luckily, her phenomenal turn as Hyacinth Bucket is available to stream in the UK right now.
The show – which also starred Clive Swift, Josephine Tewson, Geoffrey Hughes and Judy Cornwell – ran for five full series between 1990 and 1995.
It follows Dame Routledge as Mrs Bucket (who, of course, insists it's pronounced "Bouquet"), a wonderfully eccentric middle-class social climber desperate to gain approval from those she considers to be upper class. A one-off prequel called Young Hyacinth starring Kerry Howard aired in 2016.
At time of writing, fans can re-live the glorious original on ITVX Premium, or with an Entertainment membership from NowTV. Incidentally, both streamers are also carrying Hetty Waithropp Investigates, which saw her playing the titular crime-solver for four series in the late 1990s.
Her agent announced today that she died "peacefully in her sleep this morning surrounded by love". She was 96.
Keeping Up Appearances creator Roy Clarke was among the first to pay tribute, saying in a statement to BBC News: "I'm sorry, as I'm sure so so many people will be to hear of the death of Patricia Routledge.
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"It's a fortunate coincidence to find your scripts in the hands of so accomplished an actor. She was a singer and it showed in the way she could use her voice without music. It was an instrument.
"On top of such skills she was also a very fine physical clown. With those talents she took my scripts to the heights. I can only salute her talents and regret their passing."
Emmerdale star Lisa Riley, who starred alongside her in 1996's Widdershins, has also been among those paying tribute. She wrote on Instagram: "REST IN PEACE, Dear Dame Pat, you taught me so so much when we worked together, I was only 14 years old, playing your little novice super sleuth trouble maker.
"I still tell all the stories from those cold filming days in Haslingden, Lancashire. You’ve kept the nation so happy with your comedic timing over the years – now all the angels are laughing. What a career you’ve had."
Dame Routledge was an extremely decorated actor, racking up four Olivier Award nominations for her work on stage. She won in 1988 for Best Actress in a Musical in Candide. She also won the same title at the Tony Awards twenty years earlier, for her role in Darling of the Day.
Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who'll listen.
