By Amber Hodson
This weekend Britain said goodbye to another of their comedic talents. Caroline Aherne, known for her roles in The Royle Family and The Mrs. Merton Show, died at her home in Manchester. Her publicist Neil Reading said on Saturday, “Caroline Aherne has sadly passed away, after a brave battle with cancer.”
The Bafta award-winning writer and comedy actor had previously been diagnosed with bladder cancer and cancer of the retina. Aherne also battled with depression and alcohol.
Tributes have been pouring in since the news broke.
Ralf Little, who played her brother Anthony in The Royle Family, tweeted, “A character. A legend. A boss. A sister, real and (for me), fake. A boss. A writer. An actor. A genius. A friend. Big, big heart. Goodbye x.”
Matt Lucas tweeted, “Caroline Aherne moved television comedy on to a new place. Her extraordinary work will be cherished by future generations.” Other tributes came from Scarlett Moffatt, Ellie Goulding, David Walliams and other The Royle Family co-stars.
On a personal note, I have many fond memories of Caroline Aherne and the comedic roles she has portrayed over the years. The Royle Family was always on the box in my teens, and the Christmas Specials were a delight to watch with the rest of the family. As the narrator for Channel 4’s Gogglebox, it’s going to be hard listening to reruns. The comedy space is lonelier with her passing.
Caroline Aherne joins both Ronnie Corbett and Victoria Wood who also passed away earlier this year.
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