Caroline Aherne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Caroline Aherne
Aherne in 2001
Born	(1963-12-24)24 December 1963 Ealing, London, England
Died	2 July 2016(2016-07-02) (aged 52) Timperley, Greater Manchester, England
Alma mater	Liverpool Polytechnic
Occupation	Actress, comedian, writer
Years active	1990–2016
Notable work	The Fast Show (1994–2014) The Mrs Merton Show (1995–1998) The Royle Family (1998–2012) Gogglebox (2013–2016)
Spouse(s)	Peter Hook ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 1997)​

Caroline Mary Aherne (born 24 December 1963 – died 2 July 2016) was a talented English actress, comedian, and writer. She was famous for playing the funny chat show host Mrs Merton. She also played many different characters in The Fast Show.

Caroline was well-known as Denise in The Royle Family (1998–2012), a TV show she also helped write. She won BAFTA awards for her amazing work on The Mrs Merton Show and The Royle Family. From 2013 until 2016, she was the voice narrating the popular TV show Gogglebox. Caroline Aherne passed away from cancer when she was 52 years old.

Early Life and Education

Caroline Aherne was born in Ealing, London, on 24 December 1963. She was the second child of Irish parents, Bartholomew and Mary Aherne. When she was two years old, her family moved to Wythenshawe, Manchester, where she grew up.

Like her brother, Patrick, Caroline had a type of eye cancer called retinoblastoma when she was a child. This meant she could not see properly in one eye. She went to the Hollies Convent FCJ School in West Didsbury. Later, she studied drama at Liverpool Polytechnic.

Career Highlights

Starting Out in Comedy

Caroline Aherne began her comedy career in Manchester. She created funny characters like Mitzi Goldberg, a country and western singer, and Sister Mary Immaculate, an Irish nun.

The character of Mrs Merton first appeared as a voice on a radio album in 1988. Caroline had worked as a receptionist for a radio show. A DJ then asked her to develop Mrs Merton for his show. She spent many years on BBC radio, giving funny advice as Mrs Merton.

In 1990, Caroline became a late-night radio presenter at KFM Radio in Stockport. She worked alongside other comedians like Craig Cash.

First TV Appearances

Caroline's first TV appearances were as Mrs Merton on a show called Upfront in 1990. Mrs Merton then became a regular interviewer on Granada's Saturday morning youth show Express!. In 1992, she played Mrs Merton in a local TV series called Frank’s Fantastic Shed Show.

She also made brief appearances in The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer in 1993. She worked with comedians like Steve Coogan and John Thomson in a TV pilot called The Dead Good Show.

The Mrs Merton Show

Caroline became very famous in 1994 with her mock chat show, The Mrs Merton Show. She played Mrs Merton, who would ask real celebrities funny and sometimes cheeky questions. For example, she once asked magician Paul Daniels' wife, Debbie McGee, "So, what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?"

The show also had a regular audience of older people who Mrs Merton would chat with. The show was very popular and ran from 1994 to 1997. It won a BAFTA for Best Talk Show in 1997.

Mrs Merton also got her own sitcom called Mrs Merton and Malcolm. This show was about her home life with her son, Malcolm, played by her co-writer Craig Cash. The series lasted for one season.

The Fast Show

Between 1994 and 1997, Caroline also appeared in and wrote for the BBC comedy series The Fast Show. She created many memorable characters. One was Poula Fisch, a weather reporter who always said the temperature was 45 °C (113 °F) and exclaimed "Scorchio!"

Other characters included Renée, a chatty woman from northern England, and a supermarket Checkout Girl. The Checkout Girl would often make funny and judgmental comments about the items customers bought.

The Royle Family

Caroline Aherne's most popular creation was the sitcom The Royle Family. She co-created and wrote it with Craig Cash. She also directed the third series of the show. The programme ran for three series from 1998 to 2000.

Caroline starred as Denise Royle, the daughter of the family, alongside Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston. The show was a huge success with both viewers and critics. It had three series and several special Christmas episodes. Caroline won BAFTAs for Best Sitcom in 2000 and 2007. She also won the BAFTA for Best Comedy Performance in 2000.

Later Career and Final Roles

After The Royle Family, Caroline moved to Australia and focused on writing. She wrote a show called Dossa and Joe, which aired in 2002. Although critics liked it, it didn't get many viewers.

She later returned to Britain and worked on more projects. In 2006, she and Craig Cash developed a special episode of The Royle Family called "The Queen of Sheba". It was watched by 7.8 million people. Caroline made fewer TV appearances after this.

In 2008, she appeared in the BBC comedy drama Sunshine as a barmaid. She also appeared in more Royle Family Christmas specials. She co-wrote the ITV comedy-drama The Fattest Man in Britain in 2009.

In 2010, she appeared in The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa, a special featuring clips and interviews. She also narrated a BBC1 documentary series called Pound Shop Wars in 2012. Caroline also took part in The Fast Show internet specials.

She wrote a one-off sitcom for ITV in 2013 called The Security Men. Her final major role was as the narrator for the Channel 4 comedy reality series Gogglebox. This role was perfect for her, as her character Denise in The Royle Family often watched TV and commented on it. Craig Cash took over the narration role in April 2016.

Caroline's very last on-screen appearance was in the Sky One show After Hours. She played the role of Sheila and was reunited with Craig Cash, who produced and directed the show.

Personal Life and Health

Caroline Aherne was married to Peter Hook, a musician from the bands Joy Division and New Order, from 1994 to 1997. Peter Hook even appeared in The Mrs Merton Show as the leader of the show's band.

Caroline faced health challenges throughout her life. She had bladder cancer and a rare cancer of the retina when she was younger. In 2014, she began treatment for lung cancer. In June 2014, she spoke in Manchester about how her sense of humour helped her cope with her illness. In 2016, Caroline became the voice for the UK government's "One You" health campaign, encouraging people to live healthier lives.

Caroline Aherne passed away from lung cancer at her home in Timperley on 2 July 2016, at the age of 52. Her funeral took place on 14 July 2016, with many friends and co-stars attending. In October 2016, comedian Steve Coogan paid tribute to Caroline at a charity event. A video of her TV moments was shown, and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds performed The Royle Family theme song.

Filmography

Awards and Recognition

Images for kids

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  Caroline Aherne in 2001