Keeping Up Appearances was a hit British sitcom that ran from 1990 to 1995, with the show's central character, Hyacinth Bucket, becoming a firm fan favourite
It's been nearly 30 years since the much-loved British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances ended. The hilarious show still holds a special place in many telly fans' hearts.
The popular BBC series, which ran from 1990 to 1995, starred Dame Patricia Routledge as the unforgettable Hyacinth Bucket. Hyacinth, with her snobby ways, quickly became a favourite among viewers. She was especially known for insisting that her last name, Bucket, should be pronounced "Bouquet" to sound posher.
Throughout the show's 44 episodes, fans watched as Hyacinth tried all sorts of funny things to seem more upper-class in her neighbourhood - but she didn't always succeed! After becoming a big hit in the UK, the show also found fans in places like the USA, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Ireland. Keeping Up Appearances is the most exported BBC series ever, having been sold almost a thousand times to broadcasters around the world.
But what happened to the cast after the show ended?
Hyacinth Bucket - Dame Patricia Routledge
Dame Patricia Routledge played the iconic role of Hyacinth Bucket throughout the run of Keeping Up Appearances. However, after the show finished, she decided to retire from acting. Before she retired, Patricia had a sparkling career. She played an amateur detective in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and starred in the dramatic monologue BBC series Talking Heads by playwright Alan Bennett.
In 2017, Patricia was honoured for her services to entertainment and charity. Queen Elizabeth II awarded her a Damehood. 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.
Patricia looked back on her time in Keeping Up Appearances during a special programme to celebrate its 30th anniversary. She remembered the moment she realised she had become famous.
"I don't know when the moment hit me that we were rather successful, but the taxi drivers quite often would say something like, 'You're not going to tell me how to drive this are you?'" she said. "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."
In February 2024, Patricia got another Royal seal of approval. She was seen at an event with Queen Camilla and other drama dames to celebrate 400 years of Shakespeare. The 94-year-old actress was beaming as she sat next to the Queen at the grand event, which also saw famous faces like Dames Vanessa Redgrave, Judi Dench, Maureen Lipman and Joanna Lumley.
Richard Bucket - Clive Swift
One well-known character from the show is Richard Bucket, Hyacinth's husband who was much more grounded than his wife.
Clive Swift played Richard in the show. He also starred in many other TV shows over the years, including Doctor Who, Peak Practice and The Old Guys. Sadly, Clive passed away in 2019 at the age of 82. He left behind his three children, one of whom is Gardener's World presenter Joe Swift.
Elizabeth Warden - Josephine Towson
Another important character in the series was the Bucket's nervous neighbour Elizabeth Warden, played by actress Josephine Towson. Besides her role in the show, Elizabeth was also known for playing Miss Davenport in the Yorkshire-based sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, until she left in 2010.
Elizabeth later performed a one-woman show called Still Keeping Up Appearances, a nod to her earlier success. Sadly, she passed away in August 2022, aged 91.
Emmet Hawksworth - David Griffin
Another lesser-known character in the series was Elizabeth's brother Emmet, played by David Griffin after joining the cast in season two.
David, who played the role in Keeping Up Appearances, later toured with Su Pollard in The Good Sex Guide and worked in various pantomime productions around the country. Nowadays, he is rarely seen onscreen and not much is known about his private life, except that he is happily married to his French wife.
Onslow, Hyacinth's brother-in-law, was a constant annoyance to her social-climbing ambitions. He was portrayed by Geoffrey Hughes. Despite being best known for his role in Keeping Up Appearances, Geoffrey also starred as Vernon Scripps in Heartbeat and Twiggy in The Royle Family. Sadly, after battling prostate cancer in the 1990s and retiring from acting due to a relapse in 2010, he passed away in 2012 at the age of 68.
Daisy, Onslow's wife and Hyacinth's sister, was played by Judy Cornwell. Unlike her snobbish sister, Daisy was more easygoing and appreciated the simple things in life, leading Hyacinth to often consider her "lower class". After the series, Judy starred in other popular TV shows like Midsomer Murders and Birds of a Feather. However, her most memorable role has to be playing Heather Trott's mum Queenie in the BBC soap EastEnders.
In addition to acting, Judy has also shown her talent as a writer, having penned several popular novels during her career.
Rose - Shirley Stelfox
Another well-known face in the show is Shirley Stelfox, who famously portrayed Hyacinth's sister Rose, who was obsessed with romance before Mary Millar took over the role.
Even though her stint on the show was short, Shirley was no stranger to TV, having appeared in Brookside, EastEnders and Family Affairs over the years. However, her most recognised role was in Emmerdale where she played the iconic character Edna Birch for fifteen years from 2000 to 2015.
Sadly, Shirley passed away in 2015 at the age of 74, just a few weeks after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
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