O’Carroll found himself in hot water this week after the BBC paused rehearsals of the show’s upcoming festive specials to investigate after a “racial term” was implied during a script read-through.
The actor has since apologised for the slip-up, explaining in a statement: “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.
“It backfired and caused offence which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised.”
Rehearsals for the Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas and New Year’s specials, which will be filmed in front of a live studio audience later this year, have resumed in Scotland at the BBC’s Pacific Quay headquarters in Glasgow.
Joe Duffy weighed in on the controversy during Monday afternoon’s episode of Liveline on RTÉ Radio One, where he rushed into the defence of his pal and colleague.
“I’ve known Brendan O’Carroll for 30 years. I have been everywhere with him, not just Christmas Eve, not just this studio, not just on The Late Late Show, not just out in Florida with him when he was performing,” he told listeners.
“There isn’t a racist bone in Brendan O’Carroll’s body. I’m telling you that straight and I know that sounds like a really patronising thing to say.
“His main thing is to write comedy, and he does it, he produces, he directs… he has an enormous hands-on role in rehearsals. He’s trying to come up with new angles, new gags and that’s why he is so successful.
“But I suspect he has so many enemies in here and the UK that they would jump on this.”
Explaining the incident on the airwaves, the presenter said: “He is recording in Glasgow the Christmas editions. Always Number 1 at Christmas in Ireland and way up there in the Top 10 in the UK.
“They were rehearsing last week… The rehearsal takes place in an old parish hall miles away from the BBC Glasgow studio, which is magnificent.
“There is a lot of banter, but it is a pretty serious rehearsal.”
The broadcaster added that the crew “all love Brendan O’Carroll – he’s brilliant with them” as he hit out at people in the media who “do not support Brendan” and “sneer” at him.
He continued: “Apparently Brendan made a clumsy – and nobody will dilute this, especially Brendan – he made a clumsy attempt at a joke where a racial term was implied in a read through at rehearsal.
“Now remember, not everyone supports Brendan O’Carroll and don’t think it’s funny, like a lot of the Irish media sneer at Brendan O’Carroll so they are going to jump on this.
“Anyway, Brendan O’Carroll is a genius and one of the good guys,” reminding listeners that O’Carroll took home the Best Comedy gong at the National Television Awards in the UK for the sixth time earlier this year.
Last year, Mrs Brown’s Boys returned for a four-part miniseries for the first time since 2013, although the cast has worked on a number of Christmas specials and a film since then.
The BBC has commissioned a fifth series set to start production in 2025, along with additional Christmas specials.
