Comedian Lucy Beaumont is campaigning for a statue to commemorate her idol, the late Caroline Aherne, in Aherne’s home suburb of Wythenshawe, Manchester.
Aherne, best known for The Royle Family, The Fast Show, and narrating Gogglebox, passed away from cancer in 2016 at the age of 52.
Beaumont praised Aherne for her groundbreaking influence on comedy, especially in challenging stereotypes about female comedians.
“We’re constantly faced with men saying women aren’t funny, but when you say ‘Caroline Aherne,’ they say, ‘all right then,’” she told BBC Radio Manchester.
The Hull-based stand-up comedian plans to raise funds for the statue next year, inspired by the existing tribute to Frank Sidebottom in nearby Timperley.
“There needs to be one for the late, great Caroline Aherne,” Beaumont said.
“I didn’t know her, and I don’t have friends of friends even—I was just a fan.”
Aherne started her career on Manchester’s comedy circuit in the 1980s, gaining fame with her Mrs.
Merton character before co-creating and starring in the BAFTA-winning sitcom The Royle Family.
The show, which aired between 1998 and 2000, showcased working-class life in an authentic and comedic way.
Critics initially dismissed The Royle Family as “boring,” but Beaumont felt it was groundbreaking.
“I’ve spent all my life in living rooms like that,” she said, adding that its relatability “defied logic.”
Beaumont also revealed how Aherne’s legacy gave her confidence in her early career, especially since she, like Aherne, dealt with stage nerves.
“It was comforting to hear someone like that had nerves as well,” she noted.
Highlighting the lack of statues honoring women, Beaumont argued, “What better person [than Aherne]?”
The tribute, she believes, would be a fitting celebration of Aherne’s role in shaping modern British comedy.
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