Margaret "Maggie" Jones
Maggie Jones, best known for her role as Blanch Hunt on UK soap, Coronation Street, was born in Yorkshire on 21 June 1934.
Maggie enjoyed acting from a young age, attending the RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), graduating in 1954. Maggie went on to perform for various repertory companies and played in many provincial theatres, including the Bristol Old Vic, and the Oxford and Salisbury Playhouses. She also appeared on the West End stage in productions of Pride and Prejudice, and The Women.
In 1961 she made her television debut as a policewoman on Coronation Street (appearing in one episode), and reappeared a few years later as a drunken shoplifter. In 1961, on The Forsyte Saga (BBC Television) she played Smither for 14 episodes, and appeared as Polly Barraclough in 21 episodes of Sam from 1972 to 1974. She made her first appearance as Blance Hunt in Coronation Street in 1974, when Deirdre introduced her mother to Annie Walker’s misfit son, Billy, who gave her a lift home from the Rovers Return.
Blanche was originally played by Patricia Cutts, who sadly passed away after just two episodes. Maggie had been auditioned for the part, and stepped into the role after very short notice, remaining as a regular member of the cast until 1976.
Blanche returned in brief appearances over the following years, and joined the full time cast again in 1999. During Blanche’s absence, Maggie pursued other TV roles in The Barchester Chronicles, The Beiderbeck Tapes, and various dramas and situation comedies. She made guest appearances in Dalziel and Pascoe, Goodnight Sweetheart, Heartbeat and Peak Practice in the 1990s.
Maggie Jones married John Oliver Stansfield in 1971, who predeceased her in 1999 aged 72. Maggie received British Soap Awards for Best Comedy Performance in 2005 and 2008, although Maggie herself did not find the character particularly funny, and was constantly surprised at her popularity. “I don’t find her funny,” she remarked, “and I don’t think I could play her properly if I did.”
“Blanche genuinely believes what she’s saying is right,” she added, “and doesn’t say things for comic effect. If I started trying to play the lines for laughs, they wouldn’t come out right and the performance would suffer. Everyone knows someone like Blanche — or if they don’t, they wish they did. We’d all like to be as outspoken as her and have the nerve to say the things she does.”
Maggie injured her knee and shoulder in a fall during April 2008, and was unable to work for a fortnight following, however she made a complete recovery and continued to work until she was forced to retire due to illness in October 2009.
BLANCHE
Blanche’s withering put-downs and acidic one-liners made her equally loved and despised on and off the street, and casting her as an unlikely comedian.
As an interfering busybody, Blanche remained on the Street until 1976, after which she reappeared briefly for the birth of her grandchild, Tracy in 1977, and again when Deidre’s marriage collapsed to Ray Langton in 1978, and finally when Deidre married Ken Barlow in 1981. She returned to the Street for good in 1999.
Blanche worked as a corset-maker before retirement freed her to stick her nose into Deidre and Ken’s affairs on a daily basis.
CLASSIC ONE-LINERS FROM BLANCHE
To Deidre: “Good looks are a curse, Deirdre. You and Kenneth should count yourselves lucky.”
Blanche once referred to Liz MacDonald as having a 'skirt no bigger than a belt, too much eyeliner, and roots as dark as her soul'
To Steve MacDonald, Liz's son: "That's the second fiance to chuck that ring away. You'd be better off buying a boomerang".
TRIBUTES BY THOSE WHO WORKED WITH MAGGIE
William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, said ‘Maggie was a big part of the Barlow family and a brilliant actress. She was a tower of strength, physically frail but mentally strong as an ox and sharp as someone half her age.
‘She had an amazing dry wit and was as funny if not funnier than Blanche. We were great cross word partners, we sat through Tracy’s trial scenes doing the cross word together.'
'I don’t think Maggie ever realised how much she was loved not only by everyone on the show but by the millions of Blanche fans out there. She will be greatly missed.’
Coronation Street Executive Producer Kieran Roberts said: ‘Maggie was a much-loved colleague and a wonderful actress who turned Blanche into a true Coronation Street icon.
'She will be hugely missed by Coronation Street’s many millions of viewers and by everyone who works on Coronation Street. Our thoughts and prayers go to Maggie’s sister Joan at this very sad time.’
Her agent Katie Threlfall said: ‘Maggie was a rare treasure; incredibly kind, honest and loved by so many. It has been such a privilege to work with her, and we will miss her dearly.’