Keeping Up Appearances star Patricia Routledge makes rare TV appearance, delighting fans

Watch: Keeping Up Appearances star Patricia Routledge makes rare TV appearance to talk about show

Keeping Up Appearances star Patricia Routledge has delighted fans with a rare appearance on TV where she spoke about the sitcom's success and the fame it brought her.

Routledge, 93, played main character Hyacinth Bucket who insisted her surname was pronounced "Bouquet" and was obsessed with building her reputation as being upper middle class - but was often thwarted by her decidedly working class family.

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The sitcom ran from 1990 to 1995 and Routledge had a starring role in TV series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates from 1996 to 1998, but her last acting role was in 2001 and her last work narrating for TV was in 2005.

Since stepping out of the limelight, Routledge has rarely been seen by fans, so they were thrilled to see how well she looked in a Channel 5 documentary over the weekend, Keeping Up Appearances: 30 Years of Laughs.

Talking about landing the role, Routledge said: "One day when I was minding my own business, my agent called and said that she'd had a call from Mr Harold Snoad, very experienced producer, director of comedy and that he'd just read a script that had been left on his desk and wondered if Patricia Routledge would consider doing situation comedy?

"Well, of course I would if if it was well written."

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She went on to talk about the sitcom's famous fans, saying: "We were one of the Queen Mother's favourite sitcoms, which was lovely to know. And [Queen Elizabeth II] enjoyed it too.

"Hyacinth would have been flattered beyond words."

Keeping Up Appearances fans loved seeing Routledge back on TV for the documentary.

One person tweeted: "Really enjoyed the Keeping Up Appearances documentary on Channel 5. So nice to see Dame Patricia Routledge and other suriving cast members reminiscing about working on such a great sitcom."

Someone else added: "Reliving my favourite ever comedy with channel 5 and #Keepingupappearances It never fails to make me roar with laughter even thirty years on. And doesnt Patricia Routledge look fantastic at 93? Wonderful!"

Another person wrote: "Watching the #KeepingUpAppearances doc on Channel 5. Can’t believe Patricia Routledge is nearly 94. She looks so well!"

Many praised Routledge's memorable performance as Hyacinth, with one person tweeting: "They don't make shows like this anymore! What a wonder #patriciaroutledge was. Can't imagine anyone else ever playing #Hyacinthbouquet 'I'm speaking to you from my white slim-line push button telephone with last number redial'."

Someone else wrote: "Not enough people talk about Patricia Routledge's comedy performance as Hyacinth Bucket. Absolute comedy masterpiece."

Another fan agreed: "Watching the show about Keeping Up Appearances - it’s so good! We need a whole series of episodes celebrating dame Patricia Routledge, she’s just amazing in everything she’s ever done."