She's an on-screen legend and Maureen Lipman delighted audiences when she took on the role as sharp-tongued Evelyn Plummer on the cobbles of Coronation Street. She's recently found love again after the death of her husband and told us she feels "astonished" at the Inside Soap Awards 2024 in London. Report by Jonesl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00Hello. You look so beautiful. I love this outfit so much.
00:04I've always been a fan of yours, so it's an absolute pleasure to be with you.
00:09First of all, congratulations on your engagement.
00:12How are you feeling?
00:13I feel good. I feel astonished at the world.
00:18That when it can be falling apart and something lovely happens to you,
00:24it's a little bit dazzling, actually. I don't know what to make of it.
00:28But it's very nice.
00:30Do you have any messages for people out there that might have been through something similar to you
00:3420 years after your husband?
00:37Well, I mean, you can only experience your own experience.
00:42And I think in my life I've been very, very lucky to meet three amazing men.
00:50To meet one is bloody hard, isn't it?
00:53I know from my younger people, but here he is and for as long as we have.
01:01156 years between us. Where is he?
01:05He looks lovely. I'm so happy that you're happy.
01:07He's got to get used to all this.
01:09So when the phone call came about Coronation Street, what was your reaction?
01:13Because what an incredible show to enter, you know?
01:17Oh, the call about Coronation?
01:19Yeah.
01:20Well, my agent had just retired and I went to meet with quite a lot of people
01:26who didn't want to represent somebody of my age.
01:29I went to meet with Gavin Barker and we got on.
01:33And Michelle Burke, who looks after me, rang me two days later and said,
01:40I don't suppose you'd be interested in Coronation Street, would you?
01:44I said, yeah. Yeah.
01:47So she hasn't had to do much, let's face it.
01:50In the last five to six years, I've just done the street.
01:56And do you love Evelyn as a character?
01:58Yeah. The thing is, I'm acutely aware that the vote is for Evelyn.
02:06And if she was here, if her Mac wasn't in the dry cleaner,
02:10if she was here, she'd dismiss it as stuff of nonsense, wouldn't she?
02:16My God, I've never seen anything so…
02:19People, they've got bits hanging out.
02:24So, yeah, she's a very good character.
02:27And, you know, let's face it, you can't win awards unless you have the part.
02:34And the hardest part of this business is getting the part.
02:37You're going to be very talented as well, which you definitely are.
02:40Well, thank you for that.
02:41Is any of your life at all like Evelyn's?
02:45No.
02:46I should say, no.
02:49No.
02:51She works a lot harder than I do. She's got three jobs.
02:55Did you think at this point in your career that you'd be walking away with Best Comic Performance?
03:00You know, I'm always very aware that when the public votes, I generally do very well.
03:07And that when panels vote, I probably don't.
03:12So I'm very grateful that the public gets it.
03:15And is there anything you'd still like to tick off the bucket list then?
03:18Anything to tick off the bucket list?
03:20Yeah, you still want to do?
03:22Well, I am doing various other things.
03:26I've got some short films coming out and I'm going to be doing Mrs. Potty and Beauty and the Beast.
03:35All I need is more breath in my lungs because it's all a bit much, isn't it?
03:43I'm not complaining. I'm very lucky.
03:45We don't need to go anywhere. Keep it on our screens, please.
03:47Thank you so much and congratulations.
03:49Thank you very much.