Trending

Ricky Tomlinson says he still gets famous Royle Family quote shouted at him ’50 times a day’

The beloved Manchester-based sitcom about a television-obsessed family ran between 1998 and 2012.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 20th September 2021

The Royle Family’s Ricky Tomlinson has revealed he still gets his iconic catchphrase ‘my a***’ shouted at him around “50 times a day”.

Despite it being almost a decade since Jim Royle last featured on our screens, it looks like the character seems as popular as ever as Tomlinson – who was born in Lancashire, but has lived in Liverpool for most of his life – said fans of the beloved Manchester-based sitcom about a television-obsessed family just can’t resist shouting his catchphrase at him when they see him in public.

“If I go out at about 8am, by lunchtime if 50 people haven’t shouted across the road or as they pass me, my a***’ then I think there’s something wrong,” Ricky told the Daily Star.

“And when I go to watch Liverpool play, people come over and ask if I’ll do a photo with them, and I’ll say, ‘certainly, you can have as many as you bloody want’ – that’s what it’s about.”

He added: I love people who write in. I still get fan mail about The Royle Family and I love to reply to them. They take the time and trouble to write to a character called Jim who they feel like they know.

ADVERTISEMENT

“They say, ‘You’re just like my grandad’ [as] there are loads of people like Jim in real life.”

The beloved Manchester-based sitcom about a television-obsessed family ran between 1998 and 2012 / Credit: BBC iPlayer

The Royle Family ran for 25 episodes between 1998 and 2012, and Ricky said he still often catches episode on the TV – but ever since its creator and his co-star Caroline Aherne, who was raised in Wythenshawe, sadly passed away in 2016, Ricky says it has been bittersweet, admitting: “I love it when I see episodes [but] it’s emotional to watch them [as] I loved Caroline Aherne.

ADVERTISEMENT

“She was a one-off [and] she was so talented.”

Reminiscing on his fond memories of Caroline, Ricky continued: “When we finished work on a Friday, Caroline used to put a couple of decorators’ tables up and she’d put a few cans of Sainsbury’s mild beer for me, a couple of cans of lager for the camera lads and there would be a couple of bottles of wine for Sue Johnston and Caroline.

“And after every episode was finished, everyone from wardrobe to make-up got a lottery ticket off Caroline.”

Featured Image – BBC iPlayer