Eric Sykes criticises BBC Hattie Jacques Drama

Eric Sykes has criticised the forthcoming BBC drama on Carry On actress Hattie Jacques which stars Ruth Jones in the title role.

 

Eric Sykes has criticised the forthcoming BBC drama on Carry On actress Hattie Jacques which stars Ruth Jones in the title role. The BBC Four drama, titled Hattie, airs later this month and mostly concentrate on the actresses affair with John Schofield while married to Dad’s Army actor John LeMeurier. The drama has been criticised though by Jacques long-term co-star Eric Sykes. The two starred together in the hit television show Sykes and were good friends.

 

“She’d read out the script in rehearsal and she’d know her next line without turning the page. Hat wasn’t a small lady, but her size was never mentioned in our scripts. She trained as a ballet dancer and was incredibly agile. When she was well over 40 she’d jump up and do the splits.” – Eric Sykes in Mature Times.

 

The actor added it was “very sad” that part of Jacques life ‘are now being raked over“. Hattie Jacques appeared in 14 of the 31 Carry On films with her most memorable roles being that of the Matron in the four medical films in the series. While she is best remembered for the Matron from the Carry On films she did play other roles within the series such as Peggy Hawkins in the 1963 film Carry On Cabby. In the film Jacques character, tired of being ignored by her husband Charlie (Sid James), successfully sets up her own rival mini-cab film. As well as the Carry On films the actress also appeared in several of the Carry On television specials in the 1970s.

 

Hattie Jacques died in 1980 at the age of just 58. One of her last appearances on television was in an advert for the supermarket chain Asda.