Sue Johnston wants to make a ‘Royle Family’ special.
The 72-year-old actress is keen to reprise her role as long-suffering wife Barbara Royle in the BBC classic – which left screens in 2002 – after meeting and chatting with Caroline Aherne, who portrays her daughter Denise, last week.
She explained: "I often wonder [if we’ll do a special]… and in fact I talked to Caroline [Aherne] last week and we both wondered a little ‘wouldn’t it be nice’, but who knows? Who knows… I know that everyone of us wouldn’t object to getting back together again… Caroline has been [poorly] – but she’s pretty good now. I love her, she’s my daughter!"
Caroline, 52, has been battling with ill health for last two years after she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014.
The blonde beauty – who has also fought bladder and retina cancer – sparked concerns for her health last October when she had to be replaced as the narrator on ‘Gogglebox’.
However, her recent bout of good health hasn’t just given Sue hope, as Ricky Tomlinson – who is known for playing patriarchal slob James Randolph ‘Jim’ Royle in the show – also believes there’s a big chance the family-loving sitcom could hit screens again as early as this year.
He said recently: "I think it [‘The Royle Family’ possibly could [come back]. There could possibly be one this year because Caroline is so much better.
"She had a little rough patch and she’s so much better now and God willing we’ll probably do one this year."
The hilarious sitcom, which first aired in 1998, returned for five one-off specials between 2006 and Christmas 2012.
Sue Johnston wants Royle Family special
