Acting legend Dame Patricia Routledge had some choice words when the BBC created a prequel to her iconic sitcom, Keeping Up Appearances. The spin-off Young Hyacinth, which aired in 2016, explored the origin story of her character, Hyacinth Bucket.

The one-off special revealed how Hyacinth (Kerry Howard) struggled as a fledgling housemaid before desperately trying to climb the social ladder.

It was commissioned as part of the BBC’s Landmark Sitcom Season which saw classic comedies including Porridge, Are You Being Served? and Goodnight Sweetheart also get new episodes.

Patricia, 95, voiced her disapproval of the BBC’s decision to revisit the classic sitcom and insisted she would not be watching.

She was quoted as saying: “Why are they doing this sort of thing? They must be desperate…Nothing to do with me. Let them get on with it.”

Young Hyacinth star Kerry Howard said at the time that she was “saddened” by Patricia’s comments, adding that she had hoped the actress would have been “flattered” by the prequel.

The Him & Her actress told Radio Times: “Oh, it’s so sad, isn’t it? She was scathing about the whole project.

“I think she should be incredibly flattered that the BBC are paying homage to all these great shows. They were all massive hits and the BBC is celebrating its history.”

She rationalised Routledge’s response, suggesting the original Hyacinth actress might have misunderstood the intent.