Maggie Jones

[lizann]

Veteran Coronation Street actress Maggie Jones is in a critical condition after being rushed to hospital, Digital Spy can confirm.

The 75-year-old, who plays Weatherfield legend Blanche Hunt, was admitted to Hope Hospital in Manchester at the weekend for life-saving surgery.

It is thought that the soap star has now undergone an emergency operation, though full details are yet to emerge.

A Coronation Street spokeswoman confirmed to DS tonight that Jones remains at the Hope.

She added: "Our thoughts are with her family and everyone wishes her a speedy recovery."

Jones made her debut as Blanche in 1974 and played the role for four years. She later returned for guest stints and made a permanent comeback in 1998.

The actress has established herself as a fan favourite in recent years and won the funniest performance prize at the Inside Soap Awards last month.

[alan45]

From Todays Sun

CORONATION Street legend Maggie Jones was fighting for life in hospital last night after rupturing her spleen in a fall.
The telly veteran - who plays battleaxe Blanche Hunt - has had major surgery and was said to be critically ill.

Widow Maggie, 75, was diagnosed with the life-threatening condition after suffering the horror fall at her home on Sunday.

She is being treated at the Hope Hospital in Manchester where doctors believe the next few days are vital.


Last night frantic bosses were writing her out of all immediate scenes and breaking the grim news to co-stars on the ITV soap.

A Corrie source said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with her at this difficult time.

"Everyone here is wishing her a speedy recovery and we hope she's going to be OK.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed because obviously she is one of the elder members of the cast.

"There's a very real chance her career's over and the character of Blanche will be off screens for good.

"Even if she manages to make a full recovery she wouldn't be filming again until Christmas, which will keep her off-screen until mid-February at least.

"It's devastating news for fans. She's a very popular actress and has a massive following on the show."

The spleen is an organ in the upper abdomen that removes old red blood cells and recycles them.

In April last year Maggie was ruled out of filming for several weeks when she hurt her knee and shoulder after a fall at a Manchester hotel where she stays during filming.

Maggie made her Corrie debut in the 1960s as a policewoman and put in another guest appearance a few years later.

She first starred as Deirdre Barlow's mum Blanche in 1974 and became a regular cast member ten years ago.

Since then she has won an army of fans with her put-downs and cutting one-liners - winning awards for best comedy performance in a British soap in 2005 and 2008.

With her trademark scowl and "don't mess with me" folded arms, she berates Deirdre and son-in-law Ken.

In one classic snipe, she said: "Good looks are a curse, Deirdre. You and Kenneth should count yourselves lucky."

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0To1me9Qe

[tammyy2j]

'Coronation Street' actress Maggie Jones, who plays Blanche Hunt in the soap, is in hospital after a fall at her home.

According to The Daily Mail, the 75-year-old widow had major surgery following the accident on Sunday, where she ruptured her spleen and is said to be critically ill.

Last night, show writers were called in to begin writing her out of scenes, while her fellow actors were given the news.

A source told the Sun: "There's a real chance her career's over and the character of Blanche will be off screens for good.

"Even if she manages to make a full recovery she wouldn't be filming again until Christmas, which will keep her off-screen until mid-February at least."

Her injury comes six months after Jones was written out of the soap for several weeks after she suffered from shoulder and knee problems.

Known for her acerbic tongue, Blanche is one of the Street's most beloved characters, with pop star George Michael admitting she is his favourite thing about the soap.

Jones has frequently won awards for her portrayal of Blanche, picking up Best Comedy Performance at the British Soap Awards last year and Funniest Performance at the recent Inside Soap Awards.

Speaking at the awards, Jones said she didn't find her character that humorous.

She said: "I don't find her funny and don't think I could play her properly if I did.

"Blanche genuinely believes what she's saying is right, and doesn't say things for comedic 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."

I hope she will be ok

[lizann]

Coronation Street actress Maggie Jones is seriously ill in hospital after major surgery.

Maggie, 75, who plays battle-axe Blanche Hunt in the ITV soap, had an operation on Saturday and remains in hospital in Salford, Greater Manchester.

She is said to be "seriously ill" but no details are being released on the type of operation, although the actress did not rupture her spleen in a fall, as has previously been reported, a spokeswoman said.

Maggie, who is a widow, has been written out of all immediate scenes, the spokeswoman added.

"We are all hoping and wishing the best for Maggie, who is much loved by everyone at Coronation Street," she said.

She was ruled out of filming for several weeks last April when she hurt her knee and shoulder during a fall.

Famous for her withering put-downs and trademark scowl, Blanche is one of the show's most popular characters.

The veteran actress, who trained at Rada, won a gong for Best Comedy Performance at the British Soap Awards in 2005 and 2008 for the role.

Fellow Coronation Street veteran Bill Tarmey, who plays Jack Duckworth, said his thoughts were with the actress. He said: "My beautiful Maggie. She is a delight, she is wonderful and I am just hoping she will be OK.

"We just sit and laugh together and I need her to get better otherwise I will be sitting on my own."

[LalaGaga]

Hope she will be ok.

[Chloe O'brien]

It will be a long time before Maggie is back on the cobbles if so at all, which is such a shame as Maggie is well loved by many viewers. Let's hope she makes a healthy recovery and is back with her acid tounge.

[Perdita]

The condition of Coronation Street actress Maggie Jones has improved slightly following major surgery.

The 75-year-old, who plays Blanche Hunt in the soap, was reported to be seriously ill after being rushed to hospital yesterday.

"There has been an improvement this afternoon in Maggie's condition and she seems to have turned a bit of a corner," a Corrie spokesman told BBC News.

It is not currently clear what type of operation Jones underwent, but she has been written out of any upcoming scenes in the show.

A Weatherfield source earlier said: "She's had an operation and obviously she's in her 70s. Our thoughts are with her. She's been written out of storylines for the time being, everyone's wishing her a speedy recovery."

Fellow actor Bill Tarmey, who plays pensioner Jack Duckworth, announced today that his thoughts are with the star.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3...r-surgery.html

I hope her recovery is a speedy one

[lizann]

Coronation Street's Maggie Jones has been taken off life support following an improvement in her condition, a report claims.

Yesterday, it was announced that the 75-year-old had turned "a bit of a corner" as she recovered from an emergency operation.

According to The Sun, the latest development occurred last night as the star continued to show progress. It is thought that she remains in intensive care at Hope Hospital in Manchester.

Sources have indicated that the next 48 hours will be "crucial" for Jones, who plays Weatherfield legend Blanche Hunt.

The actress was rushed to hospital at the weekend. Coronation Street producers later confirmed that she had been "written out of storylines for the time being".

[Ruffed_lemur]

Hope Maggie is feeling better soon.

[Perdita]

Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has announced that his ill co-star Maggie Jones is recovering well in hospital.

Le Vell confirmed that Jones's sister visited the show's set yesterday to provide an encouraging update on the 75-year-old's condition.

"She told us Maggie has got all her naughtiness back," he is quoted by The Sun as saying. "Things are looking up now and we are just hoping she makes a speedy recovery.

"We just want her back on set, she is massively important to the show, but the main thing is that she gets better."

The soap star, who plays Weatherfield love cheat Kevin Webster, added: "[Maggie] is one of the greatest comedy actresses of all time, she is a legend."

Jones, better known as soap battleaxe Blanche Hunt, was rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery at the weekend. The veteran actress was said to be in a 'critical' condition following her emergency operation, however show producers later announced that she had started to display signs of improvement.

A Coronation Street spokesman said today: "We are really encouraged by her progress, she is showing great fight and resilience."

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3...-the-mend.html

Good news