Coronation Street icon Maureen Lipman has opened up about her hesitations to walk down the aisle with her recent fiancé, despite announcing their engagement last year.

The BAFTA-nominated actress, who first found love with her late husband Jack Rosenthal in 1974, was left devastated by his death in 2004 and later expressed her aversion to marriage following the loss of her partner Guido Castro in 2021.

Yet, it seems the Corrie star had a change of heart about romance after David Turner asked for her hand in marriage

In a candid Guardian interview, Dame Maureen reflected on what life has taught her, stating: “Life is trying to teach me to stop worrying about the bags under my eyes and concentrate on someone else.”

Maureen Lipman gave a candid interview where she discussed her relationship(Image: PA)

While she’s keen to focus on her relationship with David, she expressed uncertainty about their nuptials.

She revealed: “David has 9,000 cousins, I’ve got four, so heaven knows how we’ll manage to actually have a wedding. We may just be engaged for as long as we’ve got.”

Beyond her personal revelations, Dame Maureen has cemented her status as a beloved figure in British entertainment, gracing both stage and screen in some of the nation’s most prestigious productions, reports Leicestershire Live.

Before joining the cast of Coronation Street as Evelyn Plummer in 2018, Dame Maureen was already a seasoned actress with roles in Doctor Who and The Pianist, and even earned a BAFTA nomination for her role as Trish in the beloved film Educating Rita.

Maureen Lipman has appeared in a huge number of TV and film roles(Image: Getty Images)

This year marks her seventh year on the cobbles, but recently she announced a brief break from playing Tyrone Dobbs’ grandmother on the ITV soap.

Despite becoming a regular in 2018, Dame Maureen had a short stint on the show back in 2002 as a different character.

Last year, viewers saw Evelyn make the brave decision to return to university to study law.

Keen to immerse herself fully in the university lifestyle, she told her friends and family on the street that she would be leaving her Weatherfield home to live in student halls.

Maureen Lipman, the legendary Coronation Street actress and one of Britain’s most beloved performers, has never shied away from speaking her truth — and in a recent interview, she opened up with rare vulnerability about matters of the heart.

Known to millions as the razor-sharp Evelyn Plummer on the ITV soap, Dame Maureen recently revealed she is engaged to her partner David Turner. But despite the announcement of their engagement last year, the actress has admitted she still feels some hesitation about walking down the aisle again.

It’s not a matter of cold feet, she says, but rather the weight of lived experience — of grief, loss, and an evolving understanding of love as we age.

A Journey Through Love and Loss

Maureen Lipman’s first great love was the late, celebrated playwright Jack Rosenthal, whom she married in 1974. Their partnership was a marriage of minds and hearts — enduring for three decades until Jack’s death in 2004. The loss left an indelible mark on her.

Years later, just as she began to allow love back into her life with Guido Castro, tragedy struck again. Guido passed away in 2021, leaving Maureen once again grappling with profound grief. In the wake of that loss, she made no secret of her ambivalence toward the idea of remarriage.

So when news broke last year that she had become engaged to David Turner, the reaction was one of both joy and curiosity — had Maureen, at last, found peace with the idea of tying the knot again?

In a reflective new interview with The Guardian, the actress shared her inner conflict. “Life is trying to teach me to stop worrying about the bags under my eyes and concentrate on someone else,” she said, hinting at her desire to live more in the present and cherish the companionship she has.

“We May Just Be Engaged for As Long As We’ve Got”

Maureen, now 78, doesn’t shy away from the practical challenges of planning a wedding at this stage in life. Speaking with her signature wit, she noted: “David has 9,000 cousins, I’ve got four, so heaven knows how we’ll manage to actually have a wedding.”

Her voice, though lighthearted, reveals the depth of her pragmatism. “We may just be engaged for as long as we’ve got,” she added, in a sentence that quietly acknowledges the reality of aging — and the desire to focus on love itself, not just the ceremony.

It’s a sentiment that resonates with many who’ve faced heartbreak and lived through decades of life’s unpredictability. For Maureen, love now is less about grand gestures and more about shared understanding, patience, and choosing each other every day.

An Icon On and Off the Screen

While her personal life has recently taken center stage, Maureen Lipman’s professional achievements remain nothing short of remarkable. A pillar of British theatre, television, and film, her body of work spans decades and includes roles in Doctor Who, The Pianist, and the BAFTA-nominated Educating Rita.

On Coronation Street, she has cemented herself as a fan favorite since joining the cast in 2018 as the razor-tongued but deeply lovable Evelyn Plummer, grandmother to Tyrone Dobbs. Her role brought a refreshing mix of dry humor, heart, and old-school sass to the cobbles, instantly winning over viewers.

Though she first appeared briefly on the soap in 2002 playing a different character, it was her 2018 return that truly marked her arrival as a Corrie icon.

Now in her seventh year on the show, Dame Maureen recently announced she would be taking a short break from filming. Her character Evelyn, in a storyline both amusing and inspiring, has chosen to return to university to study law — and has even moved into student halls to embrace the experience fully.

It’s yet another reminder that Lipman — like Evelyn — refuses to be confined by age, expectations, or convention.

A Legacy of Honesty and Humor

What makes Maureen Lipman so uniquely beloved is not just her talent, but her authenticity. She speaks openly, whether about politics, grief, or growing older in the spotlight. Her candid remarks about her engagement aren’t a rejection of love — quite the opposite. They reflect a deep understanding of what love truly is: not just passion or tradition, but companionship, humor, empathy, and choice.

Her reflections speak to anyone who has loved and lost, who has started over later in life, and who still believes that romance has no expiration date.

As she continues to light up our screens and stage, Maureen Lipman also reminds us that vulnerability is not weakness — it’s wisdom. Whether or not she ever says “I do,” one thing is clear: she has already chosen love.

And that, perhaps, is the most beautiful commitment of all.