Dame Patricia Routledge Reflects on Her Iconic Role in Keeping Up Appearances

Dame Patricia Routledge recently appeared in a new programme for BBC Four, where she reflected on her portrayal of the social-climbing snob, Hyacinth Bucket, in the beloved sitcom, Keeping Up Appearances.

The comedy aired on BBC One from 1990 until 1995, a period during which Patricia, now 77, became widely recognized for her iconic performance. In a candid interview, she discussed her decision to leave the show, stating, «Well, I brought it to an end, which, of course, the producers didn’t care for very much.»

Patricia elaborated on her choice by saying, «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?’»

According to Patricia, she felt it was the perfect moment to explore new endeavors, asserting, «I’m an actress, and I wanted to take on the stories of other people.» In the same programme, she expressed her amazement at the enormous success of Keeping Up Appearances.

Sharing her initial attraction to the role of Hyacinth, she remarked, «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,» she chuckled.

She was further assured of her decision when she learned that Clive Swift would portray her on-screen husband, Richard Bucket. Patricia exclaimed, «When (the producer) mentioned Clive Swift, I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, how wonderful. Now we really are in business.'» 

Following the conclusion of Keeping Up Appearances, Patricia Routledge took on other high-profile roles, including Hetty Wainthropp in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates from 1996 to 1998. Additionally, she made a notable return to the stage with a two-year run as Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest from 1999 to 2001.