Patricia Routledge, the actress who brought the iconic character of Hyacinth Bucket to life in the beloved British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, has reflected on the role with a surprising and brutally honest perspective. While fans of the show remember Hyacinth as the eternally ambitious, social-climbing snob who is always in search of the perfect image, Routledge herself has described her character in much less flattering terms.
In fact, she goes as far as to call Hyacinth a “monster” in a candid interview about her time on the show.
The 95-year-old actress shared her thoughts in the 2023 Channel 5 documentary Keeping Up Appearances: 30 Years of Laughs, where she looked back on her time portraying the infamous character. “She’s a monster, really,” Patricia said, referring to her character’s tendency to hold impossibly high standards and her obsession with appearances.
“Her standards are high, too high for most people. But we all know that pretending to be something better than you are and quite often slipping on the banana skin makes for good comedy, if it’s well written.”
Routledge’s portrayal of Hyacinth earned her critical acclaim, landing her two BAFTA nominations and a British Comedy Award for her work. The show, which ran from 1990 to 1995, became a beloved staple of British television, with fans captivated by Hyacinth’s never-ending attempts to climb the social ladder, often with hilariously disastrous results.
The combination of Hyacinth’s relentless pursuit of respectability and her family’s low-class antics created a comedic dynamic that kept audiences laughing for years.
While many fans might view Hyacinth’s character as just an over-the-top, lovable snob, Patricia’s take reveals a deeper understanding of the complexities of the role. She acknowledged that Hyacinth’s behavior often came from a place of insecurity, despite her outwardly grand aspirations.
The character’s absurdity, Patricia explained, stemmed from the fact that she was always pretending to be something she was not, and her social awkwardness and moments of humiliation were key to her charm.
In the documentary, Patricia also reflected on the creative process behind Keeping Up Appearances and her role in shaping the character of Hyacinth. While the show’s creators, Roy Clarke and Harold Snoad, were responsible for much of the show’s direction, Patricia revealed that she occasionally had disagreements with them about certain aspects of the character.
These disagreements, though occasionally heated, added to the dynamic of working on the show. “Harold Snoad knew exactly what he wanted and was thoroughly in charge,” Patricia recalled.
“We sometimes disagreed with him, which made for an interesting explosion or two occasionally. That’s good for us all.”
Despite her deep connection to Hyacinth, Patricia eventually decided to step away from the role after five successful series. She explained that she felt the show was beginning to recycle old ideas and that it was time to move on.
“I thought the writer was beginning to recycle old ideas,” she said in an interview. “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?’”
This decision to leave the show at its peak was something Patricia felt strongly about, echoing her respect for actors like Ronnie Barker, who knew when to step away from a role to maintain its magic. “That’s the place to be, really, and I had other adventures to explore,” Patricia said, explaining her desire to take on new and diverse roles.
As an actress, she felt a calling to portray different characters and tell new stories beyond the confines of the Keeping Up Appearances universe.
In a later special titled Patricia Routledge Remembers…, the actress reflected on the lasting success of Keeping Up Appearances, which continues to captivate audiences even three decades after its final episode aired. Patricia expressed her surprise at the show’s enduring popularity and fondly remembered how she first became drawn to the character of Hyacinth.
“I had opened the script for a moment at one o'clock in the morning, read straight through and Hyacinth leapt off the page,” she recalled. “I knew that woman, I knew several of that woman,” she added with a laugh, acknowledging that Hyacinth’s personality was something she had encountered in her own life.
After Keeping Up Appearances, Patricia continued to shine in her career, taking on roles like Hetty Wainthropp in the BBC series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates from 1996 to 1998. She also graced the stage as Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest from 1999 to 2001, proving that her talents extended far beyond her comedic roots.
Her portrayal of Hyacinth may have been iconic, but Patricia’s range as an actress allowed her to excel in both television and theatre.
Patricia’s honesty about her time on Keeping Up Appearances, coupled with her reflections on Hyacinth’s character, offers a unique insight into the complexities of playing such a memorable role. Hyacinth Bucket may have been a “monster” in Patricia’s eyes, but she was also a beloved and timeless character that became an essential part of British comedy history.
