Actress Pauline McLynn, beloved for her iconic role as Mrs Doyle in Father Ted, has shared a deeply personal and poignant reason for her dislike of New Year's celebrations. The star, who joined the cast of Coronation Street earlier this year as formidable Rovers Return landlady Maggie Driscoll, finds the turn of the year a sad time for reflection.
A Time For Missing Loved Ones
'I don't like New Year's at all,' McLynn admitted. 'And I'll tell you why. It's because there's always somebody missing. As you get older, when you look back at the year and you just think of the people you have lost. I find it a very sad time of year.' The actress clarified that while she loves Christmas, she prefers to skip the parties that ring in the new year on December 31st.
This personal sentiment is mirrored in her on-screen character's story. Maggie Driscoll has her own dark history with celebrations, as revealed in a special flashback episode. The episode showed that a past birthday ended with Maggie pushing her husband down the stairs, causing his death.
Maggie Driscoll's Naughty Christmas Plans
While she hasn't killed anyone on the Cobbles yet, McLynn confirms her character is firmly on the 'naughty list' this festive season. 'Maggie's definitely on the naughty list,' she teased. 'This Christmas she is going all out to upset as many people as possible in her own inimitable style!'
The primary target for Maggie's mischief looks set to be her son Ben's fiancée, Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley). The two women have been at odds since Maggie took over the Rovers, clashing over everything from drink menus to entertainment. Maggie is convinced Eva is not good enough for her son and has been waiting for her to slip up.
That moment seems to have arrived. In recent episodes, viewers saw that Eva has been keeping a major secret from Ben, which she wrote down in a letter to herself. Maggie has now found that letter, and the secret is poised to explode over the Christmas period, causing maximum drama.
Pauline's Peaceful Christmas Plans
In stark contrast to her character's chaotic Christmas, Pauline McLynn has simple and chilled plans for December 25th. She will be spending the day with her husband Alan's family in Dublin, including his 94-year-old father.
'He's wonderful and he has become a huge Coronation Street fan,' she said. 'So that's where I'll be watching the show whilst Alan cooks and we will have a little glass of something, and we'll toast some friends and watch Coronation Street!'
McLynn's debut as Maggie Driscoll has brought a new wave of tension and classic soap drama to Weatherfield, proving the Father Ted legend is a perfect fit for the iconic ITV serial.
