Brendan O’Carroll gets ‘goosebumps’ knowing Mrs Brown’s Boys is part of Christmas traditions

‘That’s what people who come to the show say – “Ah, it wouldn’t be Christmas without Mrs Brown,”’ comedian said

Brendan O’Carroll has said that it gives him “goosebumps” knowing Mrs Brown’s Boys has become part of many household’s Christmas traditions.

The Irish comedian writes and stars in the hugely divisive BBC comedy as matriarch Agnes Brown.

The show will return this Christmas Day with an episode titled “Shining Mammy”.

Speaking to The Sun, O’Carroll said that it was a joy to know the show had become a Christmas staple.

“I absolutely love it - I get goosebumps that Mrs Brown has become part of Christmas,” he said.

“That’s what people who come to the show say – ‘Ah, it wouldn’t be Christmas without Mrs Brown.’ You’re kinda going, ‘Oh my God, we established that.’”

O’Carroll also shared that the team were hoping to film a four-episode miniseries next year as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations, as well as two more Christmas specials.

“We were hoping to do a mini-series last year, just four episodes to celebrate 100 years of the BBC,” he said. “But Covid got in the way. Not Covid itself, but as soon as the lockdowns were lifted, everybody was rushing for venues.

“The BBC were adamant that they wanted to get four episodes, so we thought, ‘Let’s book studios now for 2023 and we can do the four then.’”

O’Carroll as Mrs Brown (BBC / Alan Peebles)

In 2020, O’Carroll signed a deal for Mrs Brown’s Boys to remain on the BBC until 2026. At its peak in 2013, 11 million people watched the show’s Christmas Day special.

However, last year, just 2.8 million viewers tuned into the episode, marking the first time Mrs Brown’s Boys had failed to make the top 10 most viewed shows since it began.

This year’s episode will see Agnes and co visited by Cathy’s (Jennifer Gibney) new boyfriend.

Mrs Brown’s Boys airs Sunday 25 December at 10.25pm on BBC One.