Latest news with #MaureenLipman
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Coronation Street's Maureen Lipman says 'it's hard' as she addresses 'problem' with soap
Dame Maureen Lipman has been a much-lo on Coronation Street since she first appeared as Evelyn Plummer in 2018, but the actress has admitted there is a 'big problem' with starring on the soap Dame Maureen Lipman has shed light on the challenges of working on Coronation Street, despite being a fan favourite since her 2018 debut as Evelyn Plummer. Having graced the cobbles over twenty years ago in a different role, Maureen's character Evelyn has been noticeably absent from recent episodes due to her taking a break from filming. The esteemed actress has declared she has no plans to retire, insisting she'll "carry on as much as I'm wanted" or until she can't physically continue. Despite relishing her role on the soap, Maureen acknowledges there's a "big problem" with the nature of filming for such a popular ITV series. On the 20 Questions podcast, Maureen revealed: "One of the problems of being in a soap, for example, is that because you are doing eight or 10 scenes a day, you read it, you move it, and then you film it. Thank you." She explained the rapid pace of production, saying: "You might get another crack if something has gone wrong technically, but on the whole, that's it. It's almost like radio but there are cameras there, so you can't do anything. People are just talking heads," reports Belfast Live. Highlighting the lack of realism, she added: "They're standing there saying, 'Don't you talk to me like that' if it's EastEnders, or, 'I'll have a word with you' if it's Coronation Street, but you know, nobody is picking their nose or scrubbing their sink down while they're talking, or making three martinis – it's all just heads talking. That's not what life is like." Maureen revealed that she was "picking her phone up" intermittently during her chat with interviewer Matt Stadlen, who was jotting down her words. She remarked: "It's very complicated, a human life – we never just do one thing." The actress, confessing to being "very bad at continuity", shared an amusing mishap from her first day on the set of Coronation Street. Maureen recounted: "My first day, I think, on Corrie, I took my coat off – and I'm very bad at continuity, because you have to do the same thing every time. I took my coat off and then I put it on again, and she gently said to me, 'We don't do anything – there's no time to do anything.' But to me, acting is doing, so it's hard." Boasting an impressive career in acting that kicked off on stage in 1971 with the National Theatre Company, Maureen later transitioned to television, making her debut in the sitcom The Lovers in 1975. Her breakout role came four years later in the sitcom Agony. In 1987, she landed the part of Beatrice "Beattie" Bellman in the adverts for BT, achieving fame with the iconic "You Got an Ology" advert, which became so popular that people would recite it back to her on the streets. She even penned a book about the experience.
Metro
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Coronation Street legend Maureen Lipman reveals difficulties she has on set
Coronation Street star Dame Maureen Lipman has spoken about the challenges she's faced on the ITV soap. The legendary actress, 78, has appeared as harridan Evelyn Plummer in the long-running serial drama since 2018, but since January has only appeared in a recurring capacity. Her exit story saw her depart for a university law course, prompted by best pal Roy Cropper (David Neilson). Maureen revealed that the reason behind her contract change was in order to 'have a bit of a life.' She last appeared on screen in March after learning that daughter Cassie (Claire Sweeney) had been cast out by the locals after being caught out for drugging and stealing from Ken Barlow (William Roache). Now, speaking on the 20 Questions podcast, Maureen has addressed the fast-paced environment working on Corrie, plus her distaste at the show's direction and scripts. 'One of the problems of being in a soap, for example, is because you're doing eight or 10 scenes a day, you read it, you move it, and then you film it,' she said. 'Boom, boom, thank you, and have another crack at it if something has gone wrong, but on the whole that's it. It's almost like radio, but there's cameras there.' She continued: 'You can't do anything. People are just talking heads. They're standing there going, 'Don't you talk to me like that…' if it's EastEnders. Or, 'I'll have a word with you…' if it's Coronation Street.' 'Nobody is picking their nose or scrubbing the sink down while they're talking, or making three Martinis. It's all just heads talking. 'That's not what life is like. You're in a bedroom somewhere and you're talking to me, you're listening, you're making notes … I'm picking up my phone… 'It's very complicated a human life, you never just do one thing.' She also noted that on her first day on set, show icon Barbara Knox told her that there's 'no time to do anything'. Maureen went on to comment about receiving very little direction in scenes. 'As far as directors are concerned it's a curious egg. I would love to work with somebody who knows more than I do about what you do on stage,' she added. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! 'That happens, but not always. Particularly in television, certainly on something like Corrie, you hardly get any direction at all.' Speaking about her late husband Jack Rosenthal, who penned 130 scripts between 1961 and 1969, she continued: 'You can only be as good as your writer.' More Trending 'So often you are making things work on television particularly. Slightly altering the words. 'Think about Coronation Street, which I love doing and I'm very fond of it, and I love the fact I can pop in and out. 'But every episode is a different writer so you basically never get, what you used to get when Jack wrote it, you would write a block of six, so the same voice, the same rhythms and you didn't have to worry about whether the words suited your character, it was there, it was a single voice. View More » 'A lot of the time now, in a series, you've got a different writer each one. You're sort of having to fit it into your mouth like a big fur glove and make it in character. That can make you a bit unpopular if you do it too much.' If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Steph's dramatic Emmerdale exit story revealed – and it's very soon MORE: Jess Glynne finally meets Jet2 voiceover artist taking over our summer MORE: Coronation Street icon opens up on 'imposter syndrome' after 34 years on TV
Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Coronation Street's Maureen Lipman reveals retirement plans as she makes 80th birthday vow
Maureen Lipman reaches a significant milestone next year, but the Coronation Street star has no plans to call it a day even though she says the ITV soaps has some faults TV legend Maureen Lipman will never retire and she has vowed to keep working until she loses her mind or her movement. The 79-year-old actor is a regular on TV thanks to her role as Coronation Street 's Evelyn Plummer, and still treads the boards on a regular basis. Speaking on the 20 Questions podcast ahead of her 80th birthday next year, she said: 'I will carry on, as much as I'm wanted, I'll carry on until my brain goes - or my legs! 'You can only take what you're offered. It's not been a career where I've thought, 'Shall I take the Bond film? Or shall I do the play The Cherry Orchard?' I'm more likely to be asked to be in Carry On Columbus. That's because I'm a bit light entertainment. So a lot of work is not coming my way, am I bitter? No, I'm not, I've always worked, I've worked though two pregnancies and young children, I've worked through good times and sad times.' The actress plays Weatherfield matriarch Evelyn on the ITV soap and is one of the soap's most popular characters with viewers. But she also criticised Corrie for its lack of good directors, filming time and consistent scripts, saying that working on Corrie came with a multitude of challenges. Saying she had to use her experience to make her character shine on screen, she said that a lot of the filming and writing was not up to scratch. 'One of the problems of being in a soap, for example, is because you're doing eight or 10 scenes a day, you read it, you move it, and then you film it. Boom, boom, thank you, and have another crack at it if something has gone wrong, but on the whole that's it. It's almost like radio, but there's cameras there. 'You can't do anything. People are just talking heads. They're standing there going, 'Don't you talk to me like that…' if it's EastEnders. Or, 'I'll have a word with you…' if it's Coronation Street. Nobody is picking their nose or scrubbing the sink down while they're talking, or making three Martinis. It's all just heads talking. That's not what life is like. You're in a bedroom somewhere and you're talking to me, you're listening, you're making notes … I'm picking up my phone … It's very complicated a human life, you never just do one thing. 'My first day on Coronation Street I took my coat off and then I put it back on again and Barbara [Knox} gently said to me, 'We don't do anything.' I said, 'What do you mean?' She went, 'There's no time to do anything. For me, acting is doing, so that is hard.' Maureen said she loved being told what to do by a strong production team. 'As far as directors are concerned it's a curious egg. I would love to work with somebody who knows more than I do about what you do on stage. That happens, but not always. Particularly in television, certainly on something like Corrie, you hardly get any direction at all.' Maureen insists one of the major challenges for the drama is that the episodes are penned by aa variety of people who write differently for Evelyn, meaning she often changes the words to make her lines work. Lipman – who was married to late Coronation Street writer Jack Rosenthal – told 20 Questions: 'You can only be as good as your writer. 'So often you are making things work on television particularly. Slightly altering the words. Think about Coronation Street, which I love doing and I'm very fond of it, and I love the fact I can pop in and out. But every episode is a different writer so you basically never get, what you used to get when Jack wrote it, you would write a block of six, so the same voice, the same rhythms and you didn't have to worry about whether the words suited your character, it was there, it was a single voice. 'A lot of the time now, in a series, you've got a different writer each one. You're sort of having to fit it into your mouth like a big fur glove and make it in character. That can make you a bit unpopular if you do it too much.' Despite Maureen's criticisms, she has nothing but praise for the casting director Gennie Radcliffe who she says fills the soap with actors who are perfect for their parts. She said: 'One of the good things about Coronation Street is that the casting is absolutely brilliant, we very rarely get a dud, they're cast perfectly. There's a big pool out there, a lesser casting director would get it wrong.'
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Coronation Street star 'set to return to soap within weeks as she makes shock U-turn on plans to take a break'
A Coronation Street star is reportedly set to make a dramatic return to the cobbles in just a few weeks - despite having previously announced she was taking a break. Dame Maureen Lipman, 79, beloved by fans for her role as straight-talking Evelyn Plummer, has apparently made a U-turn on her decision to step back from the long-running ITV soap. In July last year, it was reported that the actress would be taking 'an extended break' from Corrie, with her character Evelyn written out of the show as she left Weatherfield to study law at university at the age of 78. Now, a source has told The Sun that Evelyn is set to make a return to Coronation Street, and fans won't have long to wait. An insider said: 'As Evelyn went off to uni, it makes sense for her to pop back in from time to time.' MailOnline has contacted ITV and Dame Maureen's representative for comment. The veteran actress made her official on-screen exit in January after regular appearances on the soap since 2018. However, she had hinted that her time in Weatherfield wasn't over just yet. Appearing on ITV's Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, she admitted: 'Yes, I have been signed up to do another year. 'It's good for you, it keeps you on your metal, my goodness me. I mean everything is still completely fascinating to me.' Despite confirming her extended contract, she also revealed in December that she would be 'absent for a while' but promised a comeback. Speaking to The Sun at the time, she explained her character isn't going to die, but she will be in and out of the show because she 'wants to have a bit of a life'. However, Dame Maureen also took a subtle swipe at the show's current direction, calling on producers to return to more classic storytelling. On the Beyond The Title podcast, she said: 'We've come to a point in Corrie now where people are getting murdered in knicker factories. Now, a source has told The Sun that Evelyn is set to make a return to Coronation Street, saying: 'As Evelyn went off to uni, it makes sense for her to pop back in from time to time' (pictured 2024) 'We're having domestic abuse. 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 [Longhurst], Minnie [Caldwell] and Ena [Sharples] in the snug and have a conversation about Ben-Hur. 'It's never been political but I always like it when the women sit down and go, "Ooh, Donald Trump, ain't his hair shocking." She added: 'All those wonderful expressions that your parents come out with. 'Like my mother saying, "Ooh, doesn't a black skirt cover a multitude of sins." People talk like that, and we recognise it as true.' Coronation Street continues on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.
Scottish Sun
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Coronation Street star returns to soap in WEEKS as she makes U-turn on plans to ‘take a break'
She previously suggested that bosses should go back to basics with their approach to storylines COBBLE COMEBACK Coronation Street star returns to soap in WEEKS as she makes U-turn on plans to 'take a break' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A STAR of Coronation Street will make a huge return to the soap in just weeks. The actress has seemingly made a U-turn on her plans to 'take a break' from the long-running ITV serial drama. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 7 Dame Maureen Lipman will soon return to Coronation Street Credit: Getty 7 The veteran actress has played battleaxe Evelyn Plummer since 2018 Dame Maureen Lipman, 79, is beloved amongst soap enthusiasts for her role as Evelyn Plummer, grandmother of Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall). In July last year, it was reported that the veteran actress was set to take an 'extended break' from Coronation Street. At the time, her character was written out as she decided to embark on a new career and study law at University as a spokesperson confirmed she decided to take a sabbatical. As such, she moved away from the cobbles to concentrate as she sought out accommodation in university halls of residence at the age of 78. Now a source has told The Sun that Evelyn will be back in Weatherfield, and fans only have a short time to wait. An insider told us: 'As Evelyn went off to uni, it makes sense for her to pop back in from time to time." Fans saw her official exit storyline play out on-screen back in January after regular appearances on the show since 2018. But during a TV appearance with Alan Titchmarsh, Dame Maureen also confirmed that she was not entirely done with the soap. Appearing on Love Your Weekend, she admitted: "Yes, I have been signed up to do another year." "It's good for you, it keeps you on your metal, my goodness me. I mean everything is still completely fascinating to me." Maureen Lipman's Coronation Street exit storyline confirmed as Evelyn Plummer makes announcement to grandson Tyrone However, in December last year, she told The Sun: "I'll be absent for a while, and then coming back. "I'm not going to die but then I'll be in and out of it because I want to have a bit of a life. 'David and I are thinking of having a bit of a gap year.' However, Dame Maureen also appeared to take a swipe at bosses, as she urged producers to take a 'back to basics' approach with storylines. Coronation Street Spoilers: News & Cast Updates The beloved British soap has been captivating audiences for decades. The show follows the lives of the residents as they navigate love, loss, family drama, and community struggles. Here's the latest on: Coronation Street spoilers Up-to-date news on our soap spoiler live blog New, leaving and returning cast members Where is Coronation Street filmed and can you visit the set? The history of Coronation Street's iconic pub Rovers Return Inn Speaking on the Beyond The Title podcast, she remarked: "We've come to a point in Corrie now where people are getting murdered in knicker factories. "We're having domestic abuse. 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 [Longhurst], Minnie [Caldwell] and Ena [Sharples] in the snug and have a conversation about Ben-Hur. "It's never been political but I always like it when the women sit down and go, 'Ooh, Donald Trump, ain't his hair shocking.'" I'll be absent for a while, and then coming back. I'm not going to die but then I'll be in and out of it because I want to have a bit of a life. Dame Maureen Lipman She added: "All those wonderful expressions that your parents come out with. "Like my mother saying, 'Ooh, doesn't a black skirt cover a multitude of sins.' People talk like that, and we recognise it as true." 7 It was previously announced she was taking a sabbatical on the soap last year Credit: Getty 7 Insiders have told The Sun that ITV viewers can expect to see her back on screens in just weeks Credit: ITV 7 Amid her first departure, the actress suggested that bosses should take a back to basics approach away from the dramatic storylines Credit: ITV 7 Evelyn left Weatherfield to study for a law degree at the age of 78 7 The star did confirm that she was not entirely done with the soap Credit: Getty Coronation Street continues on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.
