Mary Carroll was the long term neighbour of the Royles, the wife of Joe and the mother of Cheryl. The Royle Family is a British sitcom produced by Granada Television for the BBC, . Emma's role in The Royle Family was just a small one, but she was played by an actress who would become a big name in film and TV. A frequent pastime for the family is watching the BBC series Antiques Roadshow and betting on the outcome of valuations.[98][99]. The lead character was played by Ricky Tomlinson who is now 81 years old. When he is asked a question he usually responds with a one word answer like Yeah or No and then turns back to the telly. "Im so bloody shocked. In real life, actress Sue Johnston starred in Waking The Dead for over a decade then played Gloria Price in Coronation Street for two years. boom operator (13 episodes, 1999-2006) Caroline Coleman Sheridan starred in the Royle Family as Anthony's girlfriend Emma who comes from a rich family but still gets on well with the Royle's. Emma becomes engaged to Anthony and the couple later have a . It ran from 1998 to 2012, and fans have been wondering what the cast are up to now. Many people will have forgotten actor Andy Whyment was in the show as he was made famous by a different role which he joined straight after finishing on The Royle Family. So long as I keep working and have my little boy with me then I'm happy.". The 2008 Christmas special, entitled "The New Sofa" was the first that took place mainly outside of the Royles' house. After leaving The Royle Family in 2000, Sheridan had another comedic role as Janet Keough in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps from 2001 until 2009. The Royle Family epitomised British life - with the characters becoming more beloved than the actual royal family. The weird best friend of Anthony, Darren was always committing crimes but never seemed to go to prison. Kents seaside towns ranked from best to worst in 2023 according to Which? Andy made a name for himself playing bumbling but lovable fool Kirk Sutherland in Coronation Street and is still on the cobbles two decades later. He also has a son, Lewis Royle, from his previous relationship with Emma Kavanagh. You can't get much more quintessential British comedy than the BBC's The Royle Family. "I think it was so special to her because Caroline didnt have children," said Ricky. Jim is renowned for his slovenly and workshy attitude, sitting all day in an armchair watching the television, relying on his wife Barbara to bring in an income from her job at the Bakery. [14], A final Christmas special for 2012, entitled "Barbara's Old Ring", aired on 25 December 2012. The Royle Family was Ralf's first acting role and after the series ended, he went to star in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps with Will Mellor and Sheridan Smith. Most recently, Ralf has been the lead role in hit crime series Death in Paradise which he has starred in since 2019 after appearing regularly in one-off episodes. She recently starred as Violet in BBC Four's Unprecedented, a series written and filmed in lockdown that responds to the radical way we have seen our world change during the coronavirus pandemic. On Christmas Day, Darren, Nana, and the Bests--who seem to have raided Baby David's savings for their own presents--turn up at the Royles', but Jim is annoyed: nobody has brought him anything. Like his character in the Royle Family, Ricky is a keen banjo player and played in multiple bands in his youth before discovering his flare for acting. Most recently, he filmed a six-part travel series with former Royle Family co-star Ricky Tomlinson called Ricky and Ralf's Very Northern Road Trip. Peter Martin played the role of Joe in The Royle Family, Cheryl's father.