Dame Patricia Routledge has opened up about her time starring in the hit BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances

Patricia starred in the sitcom alongside Clive Swift

Dame Patricia Routledge, the star of the much-loved BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, has shared one aspect she was adamant about not changing during the show’s creation. The series, which ran from 1990 to 1995, featured the actress, now 95, as the pretentious social climber Hyacinth Bucket.

The plot centred around Hyacinth’s comedic attempts to establish her social standing among the elite, often thwarted by her working-class family, notably her sister Daisy (played by Judy Cornwell) and her husband Onslow (Geoffrey Hughes). However, Hyacinth takes pride in her affluent sister Violet (Anna Dawson) and her son Sheridan, reports the Express.

It was throughout the show’s five seasons that Sheridan remained an inigma as he was an unseen character, only interacting with Hyacinth over the phone. Despite fans’ hopes to see Sheridan on screen, Patricia was firm that his appearance should remain a mystery.

Speaking to the BBC on a show looking back at her career, she said: “Oh, I loved the phone calls from Sheridan! And also, particularly watching Richard’s reaction.”

“You never see Sheridan. Over my dead body were you ever going to see Sheridan with his nice boyfriend called Tarquin who made the curtains for their little home. They were wonderful, wonderful touches. And everybody knows what Sheridan looks like.”

In the same episode, Patricia disclosed why she chose to exit the show after its fifth season. She said: “Well, I brought it to an end, which, of course, the BBC didn’t care for very much.

“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?’

“That’s the place to be, really, and I had other adventures to explore. I’m an actress, and I wanted to take on the stories of other people.”

Despite the early than anticipated end for Keeping Up Appearances, Dame Patricia expressed her continued astonishment at the show’s massive success and its ongoing global presence. Her interview can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.