Keeping Up Appearances star Patricia Routledge has told that the series’ global reach has seen her swamped with offers for ‘candlelit supper’, a reference to character Hyacinth Bucket’s favourite pastime

Keeping Up Appearances star Patricia Routledge is a global sensation – with Hyacinth Bucket becoming a household name from Botswana to the Baltics.

The social climbing character is so popular, Patricia, 96, is invited to enjoy Hyacinth’s favourite pastime – candlelight suppers – all over the world.

She said: “I’ve been invited to a candlelit supper or two in South Carolina and places west. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to afford the airfare!”

The actress continues to enjoy the long-standing popularity of the eccentric character, which wrapped filming two decades ago.

“She’s recognisable everywhere in the world,” continues Patricia. “I was very big in Botswana a few months ago, that’s died down.”Patricia’s Hyacinth Bucket was a fan favourite

“I am now very big in the Baltic, I love saying that,” she said.

Speaking at a Facing the Music live event for Chichester Festival Theatre, the nineties sitcom star revealed she still receives fan mail from all over the world, despite the series ending back in 1995.

“I get really wonderful letters and very touching letters sometimes, telling me that someone’s been in dire distress through the loss of a husband or an announcement that they have a serious illness or something.

“But there I am on the box, and I’ve cheered them up.”

She added: “I had a wonderful letter about a month ago from an 8 or 9-year-old lad. And he had written very carefully to say how much he and his Mum and his Dad and his Grandma and so on had loved the programme.

“And then at the bottom, he said: ‘My dad’s been laughing at a woman like you across the road for years.’”

The actress reveals that when she first received the script for Keeping Up Appearances she could not put it down, saying the character of Hyacinth “jumped off the page”.

She explained how she returned home at quarter past one after a late night at the theatre to find the script had been delivered and was lying on the floor.

She said: “I couldn’t resist slitting the envelope open and I thought I’ll soon know if this is any good, you know in about 5 pages if something’s going somewhere.”

She was made a Dame in 2017 for services to the theatre and charity

“And I read the whole thing through. Then I had a good night sleep and I read it again in the morning. I thought I think I can knit this lady, this character together.”

As Hyacinth, Patricia starred alongside late actor Clive Swift who played her henpecked husband Richard.

She admits the character has been a highlight of her career.

“There was a rich professional life before Hyacinth and there has been since.”

“But I think this is the one. It would be churlish of me not to appreciate what it’s brought me.”

BritBox screens Keeping Up Appearances in the US where it is hugely popular.

“Even though it’s 20 years since I did the last series, it’s still being shown everywhere,” she says.