Patricia Routledge, best known for playing snobbish social-climber Hyacinth Bucket in beloved British sitcom “Keeping Up Appearances,” has died. She was 96.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of Dame Patricia Routledge, who died peacefully in her sleep this morning surrounded by love,” her agent said in a statement to the PA Media news agency.
“Even at 96-years old, Dame Patricia’s passion for her work and for connecting with live audiences never waned, just as new generations of audiences have continued to find her through her beloved television roles. She will be dearly missed by those closest to her and by her devoted admirers around the world.”
Born in the north of England near Liverpool, Routledge made a name for herself on stage in the U.K. and later the U.S., winning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1968 for “Darling of the Day,” following this up with an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for “Candide” 20 years later.
But the actress and singer became best known for her performances in TV, especially her turn as the overbearing, flowery-dressed Bucket — which her character famously insisted was pronounced “Bouquet” — in “Keeping Up Appearances,” which ran from 1990 to 1995.
Despite only running for five seasons, it would have a lasting legacy, and for a time was the most successful British show internationally. The comedy amassed huge audiences in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and in 2016 was named as BBC Worldwide’s most exported TV show ever.
In 1991, Routledge won a British Comedy Award for her portrayal as Bucket, and she was later nominated for two BAFTA TV Awards in 1992 and 1993.
Following on from “Keeping Up Appearances,” Routledge led crime drama series “Hetty Wainthropp Investigates,” about a retired woman who has a knack for solving crimes. It ran from 1996 to 1998.
In 2017, Routledge was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her services to entertainment and charity.
