After news of Caroline Aherne’s death broke on Saturday (2 July), many fans will now be remembering the works of the late comedy pioneer.
With a career in the business spanning over 20 years, Caroline was responsible for many golden TV moments during her time on screen.
Arguably her standout hit came when she created and starred in BBC sitcom ‘The Royle Family’, which ran on-and-off from 1998 to 2012, and went on to become one of the best-loved comedies of all time.
But long before she was cosied up on the sofa with the likes of Craig Cash, Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston, Caroline had fronted her own BAFTA-winning chat show, under the guise of her Mrs Merton alter-ego.
Dressed up as the gossipy pensioner, Caroline got away with asking the questions Michael Parkinson and the likes would never dream of, as Debbie McGee will certainly attest to.
Mrs Merton’s interview with the magician’s assistant went down in TV history, when she appeared on her chat show during the 90s.
After welcoming her onto the sofa, Mrs M wasted no time in asking her: “So, what first attracted you to the millionaire, Paul Daniels?”
The line went on to become regarded as one of the best interview questions of all time, synonymous with Caroline’s sharp sense of humour.
Debbie, who sadly lost her husband Paul to cancer earlier this year, fondly remembered the interview after news of Caroline’s death was confirmed.
She wrote on Twitter:
Many other celebrities have paid tribute to Caroline on the social media site, with the likes of David Walliams, Sarah Millican and Phillip Schofield among the first to do so.
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