A talented writer and performer, Caroline Aherne established herself as one of the best comedy creators working in the UK. She has died at the age of 52.
Born in London but raised in Manchester, Mary Caroline Aherne studied drama at Liverpool Polytechnic, but found her comedy calling on the circuit, where she performed characters including country & western singer Mitzi Goldberg and forthright nun Sister Mary Immaculate. Working at Piccadilly Radio as a receptionist, she began to develop one of her most famous creations, Mrs. Merton, as part of Chris Sievey's Frank Sidebottom show on the station. Merton first transferred to TV on Granada's Upfront discussion show, and she also made appearances on The Smell Of Reeves And Mortimer.
Aherne became one of the breakout stars of The Fast Show, writing and starring alongside Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Simon Day, Mark Williams, John Thomson and Arabella Weir. The series ran between 1994 and 1997, in parallel with mock chat show The Mrs Merton Show, which saw the faux naïve housewife asking gotcha questions to celebrities.
Alongside Craig Cash, who had written for The Fast Show and Merton, Aherne went on to create The Royle Family, which became a massive hit, running for three series and a number of specials.
Following The Royle Family, Aherne largely eschewed publicity, preferring to write and make the occasional cameo appearance. She created a few more comedies and comedy dramas and has also been a narrator on shows including Gogglebox. Having suffered from bladder cancer and a rare retinal cancer in the past, she began treatment for lung cancer in 2014, but died at her home in Timperley on Saturday. "She was one of those people who – without being attention seeking – always, always funny, even when you weren't filming," Fast Show co-star Weir told the BBC. "She was just a great and she was a gentle, kind, easygoing person. She never made a fuss. She was just a real laugh to be around."