Lucy Beaumont says she wants to get a project going

Lucy Beaumont is set to spearhead a campaign to erect a statue of Caroline Aherne in Manchester.

The stand-up said she would put some of her own money into remembering the Royle Family creator in the Wythenshawe district where she grew up.

Beaumont announced her plans on social media, explaining that she did not want to join the exodus from Elon Musk’s X platform just yet ‘as the next project I want to do in the new year is raise money (I’ll put my own in don’t worry!) for a statue in Manchester for Caroline Aherne.

‘It upsets me massively that no-one has done it yet so I thought maybe I should,’ she added – saying she would outline her plans more in the new year. 

Beaumont, above, has more than 100,000 followers on X to draw upon to help her in the campaign, which she accepted would be a ‘long process’, getting council permission and commissioning an artist to come up with a mock-up design.

As the next project I want to do in the new year is raise money (I’ll put my own in don’t worry!) for a statue in Manchester for Caroline Ahern, it upsets me massively that no-one has done it yet so I thought maybe I should! More to come in the new year !

— Lucy Beaumont (@LucyABeaumont) November 17, 2024

Though born in Ealing, West London, Aherne moved to Wythenshawe at the age of two. She started her career as a stand-up on the Manchester circuit in the 1980s and early 1990s before finding fame as Mrs Merton.

She died at her home in Timperley, Cheshire, on July 2. 2016, at the age of 52,  following a battle with cancer.

Some of Beaumont’s followers immediately praise the idea. One wrote: ‘Beautiful idea. One of the best like Caroline deserves such recognition.’

Published: 18 Nov 2024