THANKS FOR ALL THE LAUGHS
CAROLINE Aherne was one of the funniest, sharpest comedians I’ve ever worked with.
She was hugely bright, with a wicked wit – as guests on The Mrs Merton Show quickly discovered.
Everyone recalls her famous question to Debbie McGee: “What was it that first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?”
But other celebs got it just as tough on the spoof BBC chat show. As Merton, Caroline asked feminist Germaine Greer: “You were a right old slapper in the 70s, weren’t you?”
And she bravely reminded boxer Chris Eubank that he’d lost his last two fights. When he went quiet she said: “Oh Come on Chris, it’s a chat show... You’re going to punch me, aren’t you?”
Her loaded questions included “Does your wife like Supermarket Sweep, Dale Winton?”, “Were you breast-fed Carol Thatcher?” and “George Best, was it playing all that football that made you so thirsty?”
Only Mrs Merton would have dared to tell Barbara Windsor: “That’s what I love about you Barbara, you’re one of us... You’re like a big film star but you’re still common as muck!” Caroline Aherne was proud of being just that. A working class girl from a Manchester council estate, her humour was based on observing everyday life.
When Caroline invited me on the show, I expected to get monstered. But she gave me the kid-gloves treatment and afterwards we drank a lot and talked about punk and New Order. Her sitcom, The Royle Family, co-written with Craig Cash, was inspired by her own loving but bickering family. Dad Bert was an alcoholic, mum Maureen an Irish immigrant. She liked a drink, too much as she later acknowledged, and hated fame. She first quit TV in 2001 but was always drawn back, most recently as the voice of Gogglebox.
Caroline started her career as a character comedian, a nun called Sister Mary Immaculate.
Not everything she wrote was a success – we fell out when I panned her Mrs Merton and Malcolm sitcom. But she had a rare wit and a brilliant way with words. She will be sorely missed. Caroline Aherne on Garry Bushell: “Incisive wit or bearded buffoon? No one dares ask!”