Maureen Lipman admitted there were things she found ‘tough’ about her role on Coronation Street, prior to it being announced she was taking a break from the soap.
Last week, it was revealed Maureen’s character Evelyn Plummer would be written out for a brief period towards the end of 2024, as the actress takes to the stage in a new role.
But prior to the announcement, Mauren had admitted there were things that took her by surprise when she joined the cast in 2018 as Tyrone Dobbs’ (Alan Halsall) biological grandmother, having previously played a different character for a six-episode stint back in 2002.
‘I think it’s a tough job because there’s no time to rehearse,’ she is reported to have told Best magazine.
‘It didn’t use to be like that. Coronation Street used to have a fully planned-out run by producers, but now you’re in and you’re out.
‘I mean, it sorts the weak from the strong, because you’ve got to be able to do that.
‘It’s pretty scary when you start, but it’s fine – it’s good for you.’
She added: ‘As a young actor you’ve got to be on fire, and as a writer, you’ve got to be pretty quick off the mark, and sometimes it could be better.’
It was not the first time Maureen had something to say about how the show has changed over the years.
Speaking on the Beyond The Title podcast earlier this year, Maureen said: ‘We’ve come to a point in Corrie now where people are getting murdered in knicker factories. We’re having domestic abuse, and anything that ticks the box of social problems in the 21st century is going to be in your local soap.
‘Whereas back then you had the freedom to put Martha, Minnie and Ena in the snug and have a conversation about Ben-Hur.’
Later this year, Maureen will be swapping the Rovers for the stage, as she appears in Richmond Theatre’s Beauty & The Beast pantomime as Mrs Potty.
When approached for comment about what this might mean for her future on the cobbles, a spokesperson confirmed to Metro.co.uk: ‘Dame Maureen is taking a sabbatical from Coronation Street towards the end of the year. We look forward to seeing her back on the cobbles in 2025.’
Since arriving on Coronation Street, fans have seen Evelyn reconnect with her estranged grandson and force her way into his family home at No. 9 Coronation Street and form a compelling friendship with Roy Cropper (David Neilson).
In more recent years, she has reunited with long-lost daughter Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney) and help her battle against substance abuse.
