Patricia Routledge, 95, shares real reason for Keeping Up Appearances exit as she issues dig at BBC

Actress Patricia Routledge recently talked about why she chose to leave her role as Hyacinth Bucket in the popular BBC show Keeping Up Appearances. She also took a swipe at the BBC while discussing her decision.

Routledge played a major role alongside Clive Twist, Geoffrey Hughes, and Judy Cornwell, and was a beloved character as the arrogant social climber before leaving the show in 1995.

The celebrity remembered how she first encountered the character of Hyacinth Bucket and reflected on her role in portraying one of television's most memorable comedy characters.

She talked about how enjoyable it was to work with her colleagues in the cast and offered her opinions on why Hyacinth’s husband Richard stayed with his wife, who was always trying to move up in society.

Routledge also mentioned the reason for ending the show, even though many fans wished it would continue. She explained during a BBC Four documentary, "I made the decision to end it, which, of course, the BBC wasn't too happy about."

Making a critical remark about the BBC's production, she continued: "I believed the writer was starting to reuse previous concepts.

Patricia Routledge portrayed the character of Hyacinth Bucket from 1990 to 1995.

"In addition, we fondly recall the talented Ronnie Barker, who consistently ended his projects at their peak, leaving audiences wanting more. He preferred to leave people asking for more rather than wondering if his work was still relevant."

"This is the ultimate destination, and I had plenty of other experiences to discover."

I work as an actress, and I was eager to portray the real-life experiences of others on stage.

Even though she left the show, Routledge still couldn't believe how "incredible" the popularity of Keeping Up Appearances was even 30 years after it ended.

Patricia Routledge's role gained a large following among fans.

Discussing what initially inspired her to take on the role of the socialite, the Talking Heads actress explained: "I happened to glance at the script late one night and immediately connected with Hyacinth's character as she practically jumped off the page."

I was familiar with that woman, in fact, I knew a few women like her. When (the producer) brought up Clive Swift, I thought to myself, 'Wow, this is great news. We're definitely on the right track now.'

After her time on the BBC show, Routledge has stayed out of the spotlight when it comes to acting. However, she has remained a strong advocate for her fellow actors in the industry.

At the beginning of the year, she mingled with Queen Camilla and numerous other distinguished actors at an event honoring the works of William Shakespeare. She showed no signs of getting bored discussing her iconic role.

She talked about the things she and Hyacinth have in common and playfully added, "Besides having the same basic body parts, I really hope there aren't many more similarities! That's the beauty of acting."

Simply because I act as a murderer in a film or show does not mean I have actually committed a murder - I am just playing a role.

Patricia Routledge honored the writings of Shakespeare earlier this year with Queen Camilla.

In 2017, Patricia received recognition for her work in the entertainment industry and her charitable efforts, resulting in her being titled a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2022, she was recognized with another special award. She was granted honorary membership to the Royal Academy of Music at a special event held at London's Freemason Hall.