Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll apologises over ‘clumsy’ racial joke

Irish actor Brendan O’Carroll has apologised over a ‘clumsy’ joke where a ‘racial term was implied’ during rehearsals for the upcoming Christmas special of Mrs Brown’s Boys.

The BBC temporarily paused rehearsals to investigate the incident urgently, which have since resumed in Glasgow at the broadcaster’s Pacific Quay studios in Scotland.

Shows are now going ahead as planned, Metro understands.

Mrs Brown’s Boys creator and star O’Carroll, 69, will return to his role as mischievous matriarch Agnes Brown in the Christmas Day and New Year’s Day specials.

‘At a read-through of the Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas specials, there was a clumsy attempt at a joke, in the character of Agnes, where a racial term was implied,’ O’Carroll said in a statement.

‘It backfired and caused offence, which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised.’

A BBC spokesperson also said: ‘Whilst we don’t comment on individuals, the BBC is against all forms of racism, and we have robust processes in place should issues ever arise.’

A source also shared with The Mirror: ‘The whole production of the Christmas special was paused while the investigation was carried out. T

‘The entire cast and crew were stood down in the wake of the comment as the BBC tried to get to the bottom of it.’

Last year, Mrs Brown’s Boys returned for a four-part series.

Despite being a regular feature on Christmas schedules for more than a decade, the episodes marked the first mini-series run since 2013.

Mrs Browns Boys, which took home a trophy at the 2024 National Television Awards, famously divides TV fans but still draws in up to five million viewers per episode.

Due to its popularity, the BBC has greenlit a fifth series, which is scheduled to begin production in 2025, and confirmed additional Christmas specials.

O’Carroll announced last month: ‘We are going to film another series in April and May [2025]. It’s lovely to be asked to do another one.’

The forthcoming Christmas special will mark the show’s 50th episode.

News of the latest probe follows a string of scandals at the BBC.

Earlier this year, a months-long internal investigation began following a series of complaints about misconduct from Strictly Come Dancing professionals.

Amanda Abbington, 50, accused Giovanni Pernice, 34, of bullying her in the training room, prompting his departure from the show.

Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh also complained about his training methods.

Meanwhile, it was alleged that Graziano Di Prima, 30, kicked Love Islander Zara McDermott, 27, with hours of footage reviewed as a result.

Both Italian dancers denied the accusations made, with Di Prima stating that he is ‘not an abusive man’, while Pernice has since joined the Italian version of Strictly as a professional.

Following the conclusion of the lengthy internal investigation just weeks ago, the BBC upheld several complaints against Pernice but cleared him of the most serious ‘physical aggression’ allegations.

Elsewhere, the BBC was also thrown into crisis last year when former newsreader Huw Edwards admitted possessing indecent images of children.

Sentencing him last month, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring told Edwards his ‘reputation is now in tatters’ and called his crimes ‘extremely serious offences’.

The disgraced broadcaster, who reported on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, was handed six months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

As a result of the string of controversies, the BBC has vowed to ‘crack down’ on abuses of power.

BBC Chair Samir Shah said: ‘I cannot emphasise enough that I am fully committed to tackling inappropriate or abusive behaviour.

‘For most of us, it is a joy to work for the BBC, and that should be the case for everyone.

‘Nobody working in the BBC should ever feel fear or worry while working here.

‘What is clear to me is that we must ensure the BBC is a safe, secure, and welcoming workplace for everyone.’

The BBC’s inquiry strives to ‘ensure the consequences of inappropriate behaviour and abuse of power are understood by everyone’.

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