By Owen Tonks and Laura Fox For Mailonline
00:00 12 Dec 2023, updated 00:00 12 Dec 2023
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Sue Johnston has only recently been able to watched her hit sitcom The Royle Family after the deaths of many of its cast members, including its creator Caroline Aherne.
The actress, 80, who played Barbara Royle in the comedy, was left so heartbroken by the deaths of her former co-stars that she could not bring herself to watch a single episode of the BBC series.
Caroline Aherne, who co-created the programme and starred as Sue’s on-screen daughter Denise Best, died in 2016 at the age of 52 after a battle with cancer, while actress Liz Smith, who portrayed the beloved Norma ‘Nana’ Speakman, the mother of Sue’s character Barbara, died aged 95 on Christmas Eve in 2016.
Peter Martin, who starred as neighbour Joe Carroll in The Royle Family, died at the age of 82 in April this year, while actress Doreen Keogh, who played Peter’s on-screen wife Mary Carroll, died in 2017 at the age of 93 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Sue told the Radio Times Christmas issue: ‘It was very hard, because there are so many people in it who are no longer with us, but The Queen of Sheba [the landmark 2006 episode] is my favourite, and I watch it with a lot of pride.
‘The first series was rerun the other day, and do you know, little kids now ask for selfies with me because they love it as much as the older generations did. I think how proud Caroline would have been to know it’s still loved.
‘It was one of the happiest jobs I have ever done. And yes, I miss her. All the time.
‘She’s another one who would have loved to have got old and grown wrinkles… Although maybe she would have had Botox!’
The Royle Family fans were left in floods of tears during the 2006 Christmas special, The Queen of Sheba, when character Norma ‘Nana’ Speakman, played by the late actress Liz Smith, died.
Nana, the mother of Sue’s character Barbara, was often seen clashing with Barbara’s husband Jim (Ricky Tomlinson) over a variety of hilarious issues from owning everything featured in an episode of Antiques Roadshow to not sharing her chocolates.
In the episode, bedridden Nana met her newborn great-granddaughter Norma, who Denise and David (Craig Cash) named after her.
After she was rushed to hospital, she woke up to see her family around her bed before dying peacefully.
Actress Liz, also known for starring in sitcom The Vicar of Dibley, died at the age of 95 on Christmas Eve in 2016.
Sue will feature this Christmas in a one-off BBC Two tribute special to the comedy actress and writer Caroline Aherne, creator of The Royle Family, who died of cancer in 2016, aged 52.
Craig Cash, who wrote The Royle Family with Caroline and played her on-screen husband Dave Best, will be seen breaking down in tears in the documentary as he reveals his heartbreaking reaction to the moment he learned of his pal Caroline’s cancer diagnosis.
The Royle Family star, 63, was a longtime friend of the comedy legend, and is set to appear in the upcoming BBC film, which will air on Christmas Day.
In the moving programme, Craig admits he was ‘in denial’ when Caroline phoned him to share she’d been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
He also details the heart-wrenching night she revealed her plans to end her life by taking an overdose at the height of her career.
Caroline passed away in 2016 at the age of 52 after a battle with cancer, with Craig taking over her role as narrator on Gogglebox in tribute.
In the documentary, as obtained by the Mirror, Craig details the moment Caroline shared her cancer diagnosis.
He says: ‘I just kept saying no, just kept repeating no. But there’s a lot to be said for denial. And she was like ”we had some laughs though didn’t we Cashy?”
Craig also fights back tears as he recalls the fight he and Caroline had to bring The Royal Family to screens back in 1998, with BBC bosses reluctant to commission the show as it didn’t feature any traditional ‘gags.’
The pair first met while working at a Manchester pirate radio station, and after entering a stand-up competition together, Caroline’s career took off when she got a job at the BBC as a secretary.
In character as her alter-ego Mrs Merton, Caroline would ask celebrity guests outrageous questions, with one producer noting in the documentary she got away with it due to her ‘delightful playfulness.’
Craig went onto recall the darker moments in Caroline’s career, admitting that she ‘suffered with depression for a long time.’
Breaking down in tears, he adds: ‘It was the middle of the night… she was saying goodbye really,’ he says, with a sob.
‘She just said ”I love ya” and ”I’m sorry, I’m going, I’ve taken an overdose”. I said ”make yourself sick, make yourself sick, make yourself sick”. I had to ring her Mum and tell her, her Mum rang an ambulance and luckily they came and broke her door down and got her in time.’
Caroline later admitted in an interview she had no memory of that night as she was ‘so drunk at the time.’
The star continued to struggle with her mental health, and after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder had several stints in The Priory.
The one-off documentary will feature unseen photographs and contributions from The Royle Family cast, as well as colleagues and friends.
It will air on BBC Two as part of their Arena series and feature stars including Steve Coogan, Jon Thompson and Sue Johnston.
Earlier this year, Royle Family stars Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston reunited for an appearance on Celebrity Gogglebox.
The pair are best known for their roles as the bickering couple Jim and Barbara in the BBC comedy, which acted as inspiration for the Channel 4 show.
It was also a reunion with star Cash, who took over as the narrator of Gogglebox following Aherne’s death in 2016.
Speaking about joining the show, Tomlinson said: ‘When it first aired Gogglebox was called ”the real Royle Family” so this is a full circle moment, Sue and I together again, in front of the box!’
Caroline Aherne: Comedy Queen airs on Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC Two.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
