Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll issues apology over ‘clumsy’ racial joke
The BBC temporarily paused rehearsals for the annual Mrs Brown's Boys' Christmas specials to investigate the incident as show creator Brendan O'Carroll issued an apology
by Ellie Iorizzo, PA Los Angeles CorrespondentTom BryantHead of Showbiz · RSVP LiveIrish 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, which have since resumed in Glasgow at the broadcaster’s Pacific Quay studios in Scotland – with shows going ahead as planned, as first reported by the Mirror newspaper.
Mrs Brown’s Boys creator and star O’Carroll will return to his role as mischievous matriarch Agnes Brown in the Christmas Day and New Year’s Day specials.
Read more: Rory Cowan stands by leaving Mrs. Brown's Boys and says there was no row with Brendan O'Carroll
“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 given to the PA news agency.
“It backfired and caused offence which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised.”
A BBC spokesperson 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.”
While an insider revealed to the Mirror: "The whole production of the Christmas special was paused while the investigation was carried out. 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.
Join RSVP Live's WhatsApp community to get celebrity news and our top stories