Actress Maureen Lipman becomes Coronation Street’s first dame
Maureen Lipman has become the first Coronation Street cast member to be awarded a Damehood.
The 75-year-old is the first serving actor in the iconic Manchester-based ITV soap’s 60-year history to receive the honour, after she was made a Dame Commander for services to charity, entertainment, and the arts by Prince Charles at Windsor Castle today.
Her glittering career has spanned more than 50 years in the industry.
Dame Maureen’s acting CV ranges from a memorable turn as the Gran in a series of BT adverts in the 1980s, to popular TV comedies shows like Agony, About Face, and Bull, and she has also appeared in hit films including Educating Rita, and The Pianist, as well as on stage at the National Theatre and with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
But most Mancunians and soap audiences will recognise her as Wetherfield resident Evelyn Plummer – who has been on screens since 2018, after a brief cameo in 2002.
Dame Maureen said she “never expected” to receive such an honour.
She has even revealed that she borrowed seven hats from the Corrie wardrobe department and had to ask the opinions of family and friends on which one to wear for the special occasion.
“It’s been a long time coming because I heard about it in 2020 and then I couldn’t collect it,” she said after the ceremony.
“And so the coat you bought becomes like something you don’t want to wear.
“Then it becomes, ‘What the heck do I wear on my head?’, and then in the end I went to Coronation Street and I said, ‘Have you got any fascinators in wardrobe?’, and they gave me seven.
“I travelled back from Manchester with seven hats and on Tuesday I had friends round and they said, ‘Wear that, no that, not that.’
“And I completely blew it this morning and changed my mind.”
Featured Image – ITV Coronation Street