The Royle Family only aired for three series but it is among the best British sitcoms ever made. The show, produced by Granada Television for the BBC, ran from 1998 until 2000. There were special one-off episodes shown from 2006, with the last airing in 2012.
Set in Manchester, the show followed the lives of the Royles, an ordinary working class family from the North West. The main characters of the show all remain memorable to fans decades on. The family consisted of Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson), wife Barbara (Sue Johnston), daughter Denise (Caroline Aherne), son Antony (Ralf Little) and Denise’s husband Dave (Craig Cash), they all became relatable to regular families across the UK watching the show.
The series was penned by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash, and on paper it was a simple idea but it turned into a completely revolutionary one. The show achieved huge success and paved the way for other comedies in the years that followed.
Every episode showed the family as they tuned into the evening TV, discussed what was for tea and argued with one another. The programme truly captured working class family life.
Millions of people have tuned in to watch The Royle Family over the years, while it is often repeated on TV, viewers can also watch on BBC iPlayer. We have rounded up some of the most memorable characters and what happened to them after the show:
Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson played the role of Jim Royle on the hit comedy series. Other memorable roles he has played include as Bobby Grant in scouse soap Brookside and DCI Charlie Wise in crime series Cracker.
He appeared on The Royle Family for all three series and its Christmas specials. This spanned from 1998 until 2012. In an interview with The Guardian, the actor recalled how he landed the role of Jim in The Royle Family after a chance encounter at a buffet with the show’s star and co-creator, Caroline Aherne.
After his role in The Royle Family Ricky continued his acting career with appearances in various television shows and films. The BBC broadcast a programme in its Who Do You Think You Are? series 13 on Tomlinson’s ancestors, which traced his family back through a number of carters working around Liverpool.
In 2020, the Scouser and his Royle Family co-star Ralf Little presented a travel series called Ricky & Ralf’s Very Northern Road Trip for Gold.
Ricky has often shared his love for Liverpool, the city he has always called home. He previously said: “I will never, ever move away from Liverpool, I love it here.”
In 1993, Ricky met social worker Rita Cummiskey, who he married in 2003 and appointed as his manager. He was previously married to Marlene Tomlinson, who he his children, Clifton, Gareth, and Kate.
Sue Johnston
Sue Johnston played Barbara Royle in The Royle Family, appearing from 1998 until 2012, alongside her former on-screen husband in Brookside, Ricky Tomlinson. The character played the matriarch of the family and mum to Denise, Antony, and was Nana’s daughter.
After finding fame as Sheila Grant in Brookside, Sue proved herself to be a versatile actress over the years. Other roles you may recognise the actress from include as Gloria Price in Coronation Street, Miss Denker in Downton Abbey and the award-winning series from the 90s Goodbye Cruel World.
In 2018, Sue played Ivy-Rae in the BBC drama series, Age Before Beauty and in August 2019, she played Joan in the second series of Hold the Sunset. The Liverpool legend also appeared alongside Stephen Graham and Jodie Comer in the movie Help!, which focused on the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 81-year-old continues to grace our screens and in 2022 she reprised her role in the Downton Abbey film Downton Abbey: A New Era. Off-screen she has had some incredible personal achievements. She told the ECHO she was ‘overwhelmed’ when she was awarded the freedom of city award in Liverpool last year.
Craig Cash
Craig Cash played Dave in the The Royle Family. He was a well loved character who provided plenty of hilarious moments throughout the three series of the comedy show. Alongside Caroline Aherne, Craig wrote the show.
The actor has also been in many other TV shows and has written other comedies. One show Craig wrote was BBC sitcom Early Doors. The show is set in a pub where locals come in to talk about their daily lives and problems and had two seasons running from 2003 until 2004.
Craig wrote this show alongside Phil Mealey who also starred in the sitcom. The two went on to write the drama Sunshine, a 2008 miniseries.
One of his most famous roles came when he took over from his Royle Family co-star Caroline Aherne as the narrator of Channel 4’s Gogglebox after her death in 2016. They were very close both in front of the camera and away from the lens.
Craig, 64, is married to Stephanie Davies and has two children, Harry and Billy. Both children appeared in in the episode of The Royle Family, “The Queen of Sheba”.
Caroline Aherne
Caroline won a BAFTA for her portrayal of Denise in The Royle Family, which she co-wrote with Ricky, Craig Cash, Phil Mealey and Henry Normal. She also won a BAFTA for her work on The Mrs Merton Show.
The Royle Family was her most famous creation, with the three series airing from 1998 to 2000. She starred as Denise Royle, daughter of Barbara and Jim Royle. She won the BAFTA for Best Comedy Performance in 2000.
Caroline’s final major role was as narrator of the Channel 4 comedy reality series Gogglebox. Craig Cash filled in when she was unavailable and took over the role permanently in April 2016, after Caroline died.
Her final on-screen appearance came alongside her Royle Family husband Craig Cash, the two starred in Sky One show After Hours, with Caroline playing the role of Sheila.
Caroline was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014 and died in 2016 at the age of 52. Tributes from around the world flooded in at the time, with Craig saying: “She was a very bright light that didn’t shine long enough.”
Ralf Little
Ralf Little is best known for playing the character Antony Royle on the BBC show. He played the youngest child of Jim and Barbara, often used to run around after the family and given endless chores.
His break in acting came when he was cast as Antony in the sitcom. He gave up his studies at the University of Manchester Medical School in order to work as an actor. Ralf starred in the show from 1998 until a one-off episode in 2010.
Many more famous roles are associated with the actor who has had a stellar career. Most notably, he played Jonny Keogh in the first six series of comedy Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and from 2020 to 2024, he starred as Detective Inspector Neville Parker in Death in Paradise.
Will Mellor and Ralf Little have announced they will be working together again in coming months. The actors thrilled fans when their comedy show ‘Will & Ralf Should Know Better’ aired last year.
Following on from the success of the first series, Will and Ralf will appear on U and U&Dave for a second series of adventures. The new series will air in two blocks of three episodes.
He has been engaged to American playwright and screenwriter Lindsey Ferrentino, daughter of comedian and magician John Ferrentino since 2018.
Andy Whyment
Andy played the role of Darren Sinclair-Jones in The Royle Family. He only had the role between 1999 and 2000 but became a memorable character during that time. Darren is the best friend of Antony in the show.
He makes his final appearance in the Series 3 Christmas Special when Antony and pregnant Emma tell Darren that they want him to be the Godfather.
Despite appearing on the BBC hit comedy, his most famous role comes from the Cobbles. Andy has played Kirk Sutherland on Coronation Street since 2000. He has also appeared on Soapstar Superstar and Dancing on Ice.
The actor competed on the 2019 season of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, coming in second place behind EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa.
Away from the screen, Andy’s life is much more settled than his character’s as he is happily married to Nicola Willis. The happy couple have been married since 2007 and share two children named Thomas and Hollie.
Liz Smith
Liz Smith was renowned for her role as Nana in the BBC comedy. She was the mum of Barbara Royle and kept audiences entertained with her constant bickering with Jim.
An emotional episode of the show, called The Queen of Sheba, showed Jim crying by her bedside as she died. Jim told Barbara he would do anything have one more “bloody row” with her.
Liz played Nana from 1998 until 2006, she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Comedy Performance in 2007 for her role. Before landing the role of Nana, she was known for her roles in other BBC sitcoms.
This includes as Annie Brandon in I Didn’t Know You Cared (1975–1979), the sisters Bette and Belle in 2point4 Children (1991–1999) and Letitia Cropley in The Vicar of Dibley (1994–1996). Liz won a BAFTA award for her portrayal of Mother in the film A Private Function (1984).
The actress was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours. The much-loved TV star died on Christmas Eve 2016, aged 95. Royle Family co-star Ralf Little paid tribute to her on Twitter, saying: “Devastating to lose two members of my second family in one awful year. RIP Liz Smith. Goodbye Nana. Xxx”