I can remember the first time I sw Caroline Aherne. It wasn't in a stand-up club, it was on television, which feels appropriate. Aherne was very much a television comedy star rather than a live stand-up comedy star. As far as I can remember she never did any major live solo tours once she made her name on the small screen.

At the time though, in the early 1990s, she was known on the circuit for her naughty nun, Sister Mary Immaculate. This was what she was doing when I saw her on the late night BBC show Paramount City. The funny, filthy character quickly made an impression on me.

The next time I saw her she was doing a completely different character. It was on another late night show, this time a spoof chat show (sound familiar?) fronted by Frank Sidebottom. Aherne played his neighbour, Mrs Merton. It wasn't long before Mrs Merton had her own chat show. The rest is TV history, with the Royle Family going down as an all-time classic sitcom, up there with The Office and I'm Alan Partridge.

Oh, and lest we forget, there was also The Fast Show. John Thomson, who was very much a contemporary pf Aherne on the Manchester comedy circuit and then went on to work with her on The Fast Show, pesents this celebration, as part of the BBC's current Funny Festival, of the work of Aherne, who died tragically young in 2016 at the age of 52.

Oh, and i've got one more anecdote. When The Mrs Merton Show started in 1995 I thought she would go places. I just never thought it would happen so quickly. The second episode featured Debbie McGee, Aherne came out with that classic line about Paul Daniels and a star was born.

I was supposed to interview Aherne just before then on January 9 but it didn’t quite work out. I know the exact date because on my 200-mile drive from London to Granada Studios in Manchester that morning it was announced on the radio that Peter Cook had died. I slightly misheard and for a moment thought they had said New Order bassist Peter Hook, who, at the time was Aherne’s husband.

Anyway, I arrived at the studios, parked outside, walked to reception, explained who I was and was given a message to ring a number from the reception telephone – few people had mobiles in those days. I dialled the number and Peter Hook, alive and well, answered: “Sorry mate, Caroline’s got a problem with her legs, she can’t do the interview today. I owe you dinner mate.”

So I got straight back in my car, drove 200 miles back to London where there was an answerphone message on my landline from Caroline’s agent also telling me the interview was off. I’d left at the crack of dawn before she phoned and, of course, I didn’t have a mobile phone yet. 

I never did get to interview Caroline Aherne. Instead I just enjoyed her every time she appeared on the screen – and her offscreen voice on Gogglebox – over the next two decades. Peter Hook still owes me dinner. But I’ve been dining out on this story ever since.  

Caroline Aherne At The BBC, Tuesday, March 9, 9pm, BBC One

Caroline Aherne picture: BBC/Tony Russell.

(The picture is from Mrs. Merton and Malcom - Ep6. Picture shows Caroline Aherne as Mrs Merton in Mrs Merton and Malcolm. Mrs Merton's bedridden spouse has died. Is Malcolm ready to take on the role of man-of-the-house?)