Hyacinth Bucket

Hyacinth Bucket is the main character in the successful BBC sitcom, Keeping Up Appearances (1990 to 1995) played by Patricia Routledge.

Hyacinth’s main characteristics include outstanding snobbery (particularly towards her neighbours), often-ludicrous attempts to pass herself off as a member (or affiliated friend of) the aristocracy, and a tendency to look down on others. Hyacinth always behaves in the way she imagines aristocrats to behave, usually to a comical effect, especially given her fairly average social standing. Her main criterion is judging people, and she is most impressed by material wealth and a high social status. To a lesser extent, ‘celebrity status’ also influences her readily. Hyacinth is fiercely patriotic and is obsessed with her own material possessions. Hyacinth also shows herself off as being incomparably better than most people, including most of her own family, of whom she is openly ashamed and extremely disparaging.