20 Best British TV Comedy Characters Of All Time
9. Mrs Dorothy Merton - The Mrs Merton Show
An inherently funny woman, Caroline Aherne contributed greatly to the entertainment industry through her writing material and acting, including her part as Denise in The Royle family amongst other comical roles.
Her best creation was as the elderly host Mrs Merton on the mock talkshow “The Mrs Merton Show”. The title character was really just Caroline Aherne with a wig, glasses and a slightly exaggerated accent but she made it work effortlessly, because of her quick wit and sharpness to adlib with famous guests. It’s admirable to see someone be so brave and relentless with the teasing comments towards the celebrities such as when she said to Edwina Currie “as far as we can gather, you’re quite a sex fanatic, aren’t you?” after the John Major scandal. Furthermore, Aherne knew how to stay professional and carry the show along when her guests wouldn’t reciprocate back (take Chris Eubank’s awkward interview as an example).
Mrs Merton’s absolute best question, which is still referenced to this day and regarded as the one of the funniest comic lines on UK television ever, was when she asked Debbie McGee “What first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?”