The Royle Family legend is synoymous with Christmas Day and sent a special message to the people of Liverpool in his interview with the ECHO

Ricky Tomlinson has lived through 86 Christmas days, but this hasn’t diminished any of his festive spirit. The legendary Liverpudlian is one of our city’s most beloved figures and his iconic role in the Royle Family’s Christmas specials means he is synonymous with December 25 in so many households.

Ricky spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview to mark the big day today as he shared a special festive message to people across Merseyside. The 86-year-old said: “Make the most of it. It’s good to be alive. Think of the good times. Have a wonderful day and a wonderful Christmas. And if you’ve got any turkey left over, give us a shout.”

Christmas in the Tomlinson household is a family affair as he gave an insight into how he will be getting into the festive spirit. He said: “I love Christmas. My missus Rita is from Bootle, a pretty big family so Christmas is important to her as well.

“Everything is swinging. We have the grandkids there and it’s smashing.” 2025 has marked one of Ricky’s busiest years yet, as he reprised his role as Bobby Grant in Brookside for the one off return in October and continues to tour around the UK and Ireland with his long-time collaborator, Asa Murphy.

Ricky harbours no intentions of retiring or slowing down in 2026 even though he is entering his late 80s. He said: “I love working. I’d go anywhere at the drop of the hat because I love it. What else would I be doing at 86? I’d be sitting in the house or in a nursing home.”

He laughed: “I think Rita’s trying to get me into one.” Ricky was awarded the Freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2014 and he takes his position seriously.

One of the reasons he is adamant to stay so busy is that he can continue to be an ambassador for the city of Liverpool, as he explained to the ECHO earlier this year when he officially reopened the Epstein Theatre in September.

He said: “I love Liverpool. I won’t hear a bad word. The only time I ever lose my temper is if I hear people slagging Liverpool off. I say, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve never been there, you don’t know who the people are’.”

One of the reasons why he is so passionate about his home city is the way it never turned his back on him during his hour of need after he was imprisoned following the 1972 builders’ strike as one of “The Shrewsbury Two”.

He said: “Liverpool has been very good to me because a lot of people forget that I was a political prisoner for two years. When I came back, I was living in a little village in Wales.

“There was no work there, so I had to come back to Liverpool. I learned my trade in the clubs and the pubs, got an Equity [actors’ trade union membership] and that’s when I broke into film and met some incredible people. It’s been an amazing journey.”

The actor describes himself as one of the last political prisoners in the UK and has since successfully cleared his name in the Court of Appeal in 2021. Once he got his break, his journey to becoming a national treasure was well under way.

Throughout his journey to the top, Ricky has never forgotten his roots in Everton when he learnt the community values he continues to uphold so dearly today that embody the spirit of Christmas.

He said: “[When he was younger] We were very lucky because we had electricity. 90% of the houses in the street didn’t have electricity.

“They had a gas lamp so, really, we were a bit posh. I know where I’ve come from and I’ve never forgotten where I’ve come from. And I’ve never forgotten my neighbours.

“My dad was the street handyman. His toolkit was a four pound lump hammer and a screwdriver. If anyone had a window broke, or a door broken, he’d be there [to help]”. He laughed: “He was a baker by trade, so didn’t have a clue.”