‘I am taking a sabbatical’: Coronation Street’s Maureen Lipman, 74, reveals she’s on a break from the soap until she gets the Covid-19 vaccine
Maureen Lipman has revealed that she’s been having a secret break from Coronation Street, where she plays Evelyn Plummer.
The actress, 74, explained that she’s ‘taking a bit of a sabbatical’ until she receives a coronavirus vaccination.
Speaking about lockdown and how her work has been affected, Maureen told the Outspoken Beauty podcast: ‘Well it has been a time that I can’t personally complain about except on behalf of the people who have not been as fortunate.
‘On sabbatical’: Maureen Lipman has revealed that she’s been having a secret break from Coronation Street until she gets her coronavirus vaccine (pictured in October 2019)
‘I continued in Coronation Street after the first initial lockdown. I went back. I am still officially working on it except that I am taking a bit of sabbatical until I get my vaccination at the moment.’
Maureen added that she’s been working on some projects still, saying: ‘They kindly allowed me to be engulfed by Gyles Brandreth on the Gogglebox series.
‘I had no idea what it was until I got into it. I thought I would be some sort of pundit. I have always admired that genre but it was basically looking at willies.’
The soap star continued that she’s also been keeping busy by going for walks in Hyde Park with fellow actress Rula Lenska and calling her family on Zoom.
Soap star: Maureen returned to the Cobbles in 2018 as Evelyn Plummer, the long-lost grandmother of Tyrone Dobbs, following a six-week stint on the soap in 2002
She said: ‘My lockdown has not been too much of a problem. If I lived in a flat with kids and no outside I think I would go mad.
‘I have done a lot of Zooms but I still feel I am not doing anything, I am not doing anything to help.’
Last May, Maureen revealed that she suspected she might have been suffering with ‘a mild form’ of COVID-19 while filming on Coronation Street.
At the end of March ITV halted production on the cobbles due to the ongoing pandemic.
Speaking to The Lady magazine, Maureen said: ‘I believe myself to have had a mild form of coronavirus masquerading as a fortnight’s persistent cough, with attached fatigue and sweats.
‘If I did have it, then I flung my viral breath cheerfully around the Coronation Street corner shop at anyone who popped in for a bag of crisps and a confrontation.’
Maureen returned to the Cobbles in 2018 as Evelyn Plummer, the long-lost grandmother of Tyrone Dobbs, following a six-week stint on the soap in 2002.
And she later admitted that she was ‘incredibly nervous’ that returning to Corrie would ‘cheese off’ some of the regular actors.
Speaking with Prima magazine, maureen said going back was a bit like the first day back at school, while she credited her career success to her confidence.
Oh dear: It comes after the actress said that she suspects she might have been suffering with ‘a mild form’ of COVID-19 while filming was still underway last year (pictured with Tyrone and Fiz)
She revealed: ‘On my first day back, I was incredibly nervous. I learned my lines until I knew them by heart, but I didn’t know how the rest of the cast would react to me.
‘There’s always that feeling when you join something new that the regulars will be slightly cheesed off that you’ve come.’
Meanwhile, Maureen – who lost husband of 30 years Jack Rosenthal to cancer in 2004 – is in a relationship with Guido Castro, whom she met 13 years ago.
However she has insisted she doesn’t see the point in getting married again – or even living together as a couple.
Maureen said: ‘I’m not quite sure of the purpose of marriage for me. I don’t need anyone’s money or their house. What would be the point? I’ve worked hard all my life and I wouldn’t want to be a burden on anyone.’
Couple: Maureen – who lost husband of 30 years Jack Rosenthal to cancer in 2004 – is in a relationship with Guido Castro, whom she met 13 years ago (pictured together in 2014)