Coronation Street star Maureen Lipman has left BBC viewers distracted by her youthful appearance on The One Show. The former soap actress, widely recognised for her role as Evelyn Plummer, appeared on Monday's episode alongside hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp to discuss her upcoming stage project.
Maureen Lipman's Return to the Stage
The 79-year-old actress is preparing to celebrate her 80th birthday by returning to the spotlight. She will star in 'Allegra', a new comedy by Peter Quilter, which combines music, comedy, and joy. The play will tour the UK from next month, with a planned West End run. The tour opens at Theatre Royal Brighton during the week of her milestone birthday, marking her first major UK tour in two decades.
Plot and Character
The show follows a woman whose unrelenting optimism leads her to burst into song in everyday situations, both imagined and real, causing disruption in her village. Alex Jones inquired further, saying: "Tell us more about Allegra, she seems like a lot of fun." Maureen explained: "She's relentlessly happy and it drives everyone mad. They want to bring her down and make her more like everybody else. I have to sing, dance, and speak all at the same time." She added: "I can't really do any of them, but I'm having a good go. It's lovely because we're living in a world of vitriol and nastiness. And here comes this woman who finds joy every day. She's batty. You would call her probably neurodivergent if you had the vocabulary."
"There's a policeman, a brother, a carer, and they're all trying to keep her level, but she can't. She's got an orchestra in her head. So we're taking this around the country to cheer everybody up," Maureen continued.
Viewer Reactions
As Maureen discussed her new venture, viewers at home focused on her appearance. Social media quickly filled with praise. One viewer wrote: "Maureen Lipman is 80 next month. You'd think she was about 30 years younger! #theoneshow." Another commented: "Maureen Lipman is looking well #theoneshow." A third added: "Maureen is looking fab." One shocked fan simply wrote: "80??!!"
The One Show airs weekdays from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
