Corrie: Maggie Jones (Blanche) seriously ill

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Coronation Street star seriously ill
Mike Keegan
October 13, 2009
manchestereveningnews.co.uk

CORONATION Street legend Maggie Jones is seriously ill after an operation. The much-loved 75-year-old, who plays Deirdre Barlow's battleaxe mother Blanche Hunt, was taken to Salford Royal Hospital on Saturday. She underwent emergency surgery for an existing condition and was today described as 'very poorly'.

Officials from the soap have revealed her straight-talking character has been written out of future episodes. But they said rubbished reports in the national press that she had fallen and ruptured her spleen. A spokesman told the M.E.N.: "She hasn't had a fall or ruptured her spleen. She was taken in on Saturday for emergency surgery. What is important now is that she concentrates on getting better. The details of why she is in hospital are a private matter. What I can say is that everyone here is wishing her a speedy recovery."

Maggie, a widower, has played the bold-as-brass character since 1974. She is based in London but stays at the Marriott Victoria and Albert Hotel just yards from Granada's Manchester city centre HQ during filming. Last year she was taken to hospital after suffering a fall. She managed to hobble to the set and insisted she was OK before medics there sent her to Accident and Emergency.

The veteran actress, who trained at Rada, won a gong for Best Comedy Performance at the British Soap Awards in 2005 and 2008 for the role.

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Ah crap, here's hoping she pulls through ok

[SpursFan1902]

Yeah, I was just getting to know and love her! Speedy recovery...

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Maggie 'Blanche' Jones recovering after major operation
By Oliver Shah
14th October 2009

Coronation Street actress Maggie Jones has 'turned a corner' and is recovering in hospital after undergoing a life-saving operation. A spokeswoman for the show said: 'Maggie has shown some improvement and seems to have turned a corner, which is obviously great news. It looked very grim for a few days but everyone's thinking about her and wishing her well, and no news is good news now really."

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good stuff - dead battleaxes are no fun!

[SpursFan1902]

They are too quiet for my liking...Best wishes to Maggie and her family.

[pirtybirdy]

Best wishes to our Blanche. She is so funny. I hope she recovers okay as well.

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Coronation Street star gets her grin back
Charlotte McCathie
October 16, 2009
manchestereveningnews.co.uk

CORONATION Street favourite Maggie Jones, has got a `cheeky grin' back on her face as she recovers from emergency surgery, her co-star Michael Le Vell has revealed. The veteran star, who plays battle-axe Blanche Hunt, is said to have been taken off a ventilator which was helping her breathe. And Le Vell, who plays mechanic Kevin Webster, said her sister had visited the Street set to reassure the cast.

The much-loved actress, who is 75, was rushed to Salford's Hope Hospital on Saturday for a major operation, but is now said to be on the mend. Le Vell said: "The good news is her sister said she has got a cheeky grin back on her face. She told us Maggie has got all her naughtiness back. Things are looking up now and we are just hoping she makes a speedy recovery." Le Vell said the cast is missing the star, who has been written out of forthcoming scenes. Le Vell added: "We just want her back on set, she is massively important to the show, but the main thing is that she gets better.

Fellow Corrie veteran Bill Tarmey, who plays Jack Duckworth, said his thoughts are with the actress. He said: "My beautiful Maggie. She is a delight, she is wonderful and I am just hoping she will be ok. We just sit and laugh together and I need her to get better otherwise I will be sitting on my own."

Gray O'Brien, who plays Tony Gordon in the soap, revealed that the cast cheered when they heard that the star was getting better. He said: "We are absolutely thrilled. There was a big cheer in the Green Room. Everyone was sitting at the end of the phone on tenterhooks. She was very poorly at the weekend but she has definitely made a breakthrough."

David Neilson, who plays Roy Cropper, called Jones a `great fighter'. He said: "We love Maggie. She is a lovely actress but mostly a great woman. What is happening is in a way no surprise because she is tough in the best sense."

Alison King, who plays Carla Connor, said: "We love you, Maggie, and we just want you to get well really, really soon because she is the strength of Coronation Street and she is the best." A Street spokesman said: "We are really encouraged by her progress, she is showing great fight and resilience."

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[SpursFan1902]

Very cool....

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Maggie Jones dies aged 75
By CARA LEE
2nd December 2009

CORRIE star Maggie Jones passed away this morning, aged 75. The much-loved actress, who played Weatherfield's battleaxe Blanche Hunt, died in hospital after battling a long illness. She was forced to pull out of filming on the soap in October after being rushed to hospital for major surgery.

Maggie won several comedy awards for playing feisty Blanche - who is loved for her sharp tongue and tell-it-like-it-is manner. She first appeared in the ITV1 soap in 1974 and became a regular cast member in 1999.

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Ah, that's sad news. For me she was one of the best ever female TV characters, up there with Hilda Ogden, Mrs Mangel and Vinegar Tits...

[SpursFan1902]

I feel like missed her. She got sick around the time I started watching. Very sad news indeed...

[pirtybirdy]

That is awful. She was one of the most enjoyable funny characters on Corrie. I loved her sarcasm and wit. They still didn't give much detail as to what surgery she had. She'll be missed and I'm glad I had the pleasure to watch her on screen.

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[SpursFan1902]

Awww, that was lovely.

[Twirley]

Yep, she will be missed. She may have been a mean character most of the time but Blanche certainly showed the love and support when it was really needed. She brought some fantastic moments to Corrie.

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[SpursFan1902]

Have they ever mentioned what the "major surgery" was?