Inside secrets of Coventry-filmed Keeping up Appearances 30 years on

 Judy Cornwell played the iconic role of Daisy in Keeping Up Appearances and has opened up on the fun she had on set with Dame Patricia Routledge, Clive Swift and Geoffrey Hughes

Judy Cornwell, the actress celebrated for her role as Daisy in the hit 1990s sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, has shared some inside secret from her time on the show. Filmed in Coventry, Judy starred as the sexually frustrated sister of Patricia Routledge’s iconic character Hyacinth Bucket and the wife of Onslow, played by Geoffrey Hughes.

Judy was instrumental to the comedy’s success which had a staggering 15 million viewers tuning in weekly at the show’s peak. She reminisced about the constant hilarity on set alongside Dame Patricia, Clive Swift, and ex-Corrie actor Geoffrey. Even though it’s been thirty years since the last episode aired, Judy, now 84, still receives fan mail from all over the world.

She revealed: “I get a lot of letters saying that while they knew Pat was the posh lead, they all identified with Daisy and Onslow because this is how they thought life to be. And I thought that was lovely and charming.”

Judy also touched on why audiences felt such a strong connection to the characters, explaining: “People used to identify with the dynamics, especially when Onslow used to panic when Daisy was getting randy. And then Daddy going off on a bike without his coat… it resonated with Brits about how everybody has to cope with family, and that we are eccentrics,” she said.

Judy secured her role thanks to BBC super producer Harold Snoad, who’s known for hits like ‘Dad’s Army’, ‘Are You Being Served?, reports Leicestershire Live.’, and ‘Ever Decreasing Circles’. After her impressive spell on ‘The Dick Emery Show’, she joined the outstanding cast of writer Roy Clarke’s comedy.

She said: “Harold picked me for Daisy, which was perfect. I enjoyed playing that part, working with people I respected and liked. Patricia was the perfect Hyacinth, thanks to years of great theatre experience. She gave a brilliant performance. And it is fair to say she was shocked by how big the show became, given all her other work.”

Reflecting on her co-star, Judy added: “Clive [Richard] was a very good actor and quite serious fellow off-set, but they were a perfect foil to each other. Everyone got on well. And even when we weren’t filming we would meet up for lunch and catch up on gossip.”

Judy shared: “Geoffrey and I got on the set, sat together in bed and it collapsed. Our legs flew in the air and we just rolled over each other. It was hard to get the audience to simmer down – they were hysterical. Everything we ever did on or off script would make the audience laugh.

“We were always up to stuff. He was very naughty and used to pinch my bottom under the covers and say rude things. And he would always say it before I had a line so I would get the giggles, leaving the audience wondering what was the matter with me. I used to get my own back – I would kick him underneath the covers. We had a lot of fun and naughtiness.”

Young Judy Cornwell 🌼 Daisy

Reminiscing over Geoffrey, who passed away in 2012, Judy said with warmth: “Geoffrey’s sense of humour was brilliant, and our families became friends. He was fun, very loyal and we had this great ability to work fast. He and I sank into our characters very quickly – after a couple of read-throughs, we had it down. Roy’s script was brilliant and Harold was just a fun man who let us play around. From that we made magic.”

She went on to give an insider’s view on Daisy’s well-known style, revealing how she chose her costume: “I went down to the BBC wardrobe room and found this grey cardigan, which was awful, and I thought, ‘That is it!’ I put it on along with some terrible old sandals.”

She added a detail about Onslow’s notorious garment, saying: “They were my own from home, which were worn and raggedy. And Geoffrey’s vest we used to make grubbier by throwing some sandwiches from catering on it before shooting.”

Daisy’s portrayal as a lustful book-lover on Keeping Up Appearances, aspiring to live out romantic novel scenes with Onslow fascinated audiences. Judy said: “Harold gave me a Mills and Boon book, and I said she can have a romantic book every week. And I was then at a publishing dinner where the Mills and Boon people came leaping up and said, ‘Our book sales have gone through the roof’.”

The beloved BBC series eventually concluded in 1995, leading Dame Patricia Routledge to take the lead in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates. Despite the show’s popularity, when it ended, Judy expressed no resentment, noting: “There was no bitterness or ill feeling. We all wanted to do other things. I have had such a great career. Keeping Up Appearances was a highlight. I am so glad it is loved to this day.”