Dame Maureen Lipmann is a fan favourite on the Cobbles
Evelyn Plummer has become one of Coronation Street’s most popular characters. Tyrone Dobbs’ nan has been played by Dame Maureen Lipmann since 2018 and immediately established herself as a fan favourite.
However, her latest storyline has teased she may soon be departing the Cobbles after she applied to study law at university. The character was invited for an interview at the university in Friday night’s episode of the long-running soap.
She was concerned her dream was in tatters when the interview was being chaired by Marjorie Tavistock, who she has previously made an enemy of. Spoilers have revealed Evelyn’s dream will come true as she will be accepted onto the course and soon be leaving the Cobbles to move into student halls.
However, Dame Maureen has previously revealed the truth around her show exit as she revealed it will not be permanent. At the Inside Soap Awards last year, she said: “I’m not dying. I haven’t fallen in the Manchester Ship Canal so I will be probably coming back until I’m wheeled off set.”
Speaking to our sister site, OK Magazine, Dame Maureen confirmed the exit storyline was her idea and suggested it would make a great spin-off show. She added: “I had the idea that Evelyn might get so fed up with working in three crappy jobs and not being appreciated.
“She applies to go to university at the age of 78 and that she’s studying law with special emphasis on dogs. What a spin-off it would be if she was put in a hall of residence with some 17 year old kid who’s never been off the isle of Orkney and then everybody at university starts dressing like Evelyn!”
Dame Maureen is currently performing in a Beauty and the Beast pantomime at the Richmond Theatre and will be excited to eventually make her return to Coronation Street in the future. She enjoys a close bond with her co-stars who shared heartfelt tributes to her when she marked her 78th birthday last year.
Alan Halsall, who plays Dame Maureen’s onscreen grandson, said: “Happy birthday nana. Love you Mo.” Claire Sweeney plays onscreen daughter, Cassandra Plummer, and she added: “Happy birthday Darling Maureen I adore you.”
Away from the screen, Dame Maureen was married to writer Jack Rosenthal from 1974 until he died in 2004. Jack was renowned for his work on Corrie and she said Evelyn is the sort of character her late husband would have created.
She said: “She’s a proper battle-axe, and she’s not really redeemed.” Evelyn found love again with Guido Castro who she started dating in 2008.
However, Dame Maureen was heartbroken when Guido died after contracting coronavirus in care home while suffering from Parkinson’s in 2021. The soap star said she feels grateful “to have had two such wonderful men” and revealed she took to art therapy to help cope with the grief.
She told Mirror Online: “My experience is just one of thousands of feeling bewildered and out on a limb. The residual pain, the grief, I let it drip out inclemently. Sometimes I can’t sleep.”
Maureen has found love once again with David Turner and the two are engaged to be married. She first addressed the romance with the Sunday Express in 2023 as she said ahead of the National Television Awards: “I’m going with my gentleman friend David – it’s a baptism of fire for him. The most important thing is that I find a dress.”
Their relationship has gone from strength to strength and as the two are now preparing to tie the knot. Dame Maureen admitted she was surprised to find love for the third time as she told OK! Magazine: “It came as shock to him and me.
“It’s just a lovely mad, insane, fantastic thing that happened to both of us and I’ve been very lucky to meet three men who seem to like me and bring me a cup of tea. I wish it for everybody.”
