Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll apologizes for ‘clumsy’ racial joke

Irish actor Brendan O’Carroll has apologized for a “clumsy” joke involving a “racial term” during rehearsals for the upcoming Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas special.

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

Now the shows are going on as planned, Metro understand

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

“In a reading of the Christmas specials of Mrs Brown’s Boys, 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 was counterproductive and caused offence, which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised.”

A BBC spokesman also said: “While we do not comment on individuals, the BBC is against all forms of racism and we have robust processes in place should issues arise.”

A source also shared with The Mirror: “All production of the Christmas special was halted while the investigation was carried out. T

“The entire cast and crew pulled out following the comment while 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 of Christmas schedules for more than a decade, the episodes marked the first miniseries to run since 2013.

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

Due to its popularity, the BBC has given the green light for a fifth series, which is set to begin production in 2025, and has confirmed additional Christmas specials.

O’Carroll announced last month: “We’re going to film another series in April and May (2025). It’s lovely that he’s being asked to do another one.

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

News of the latest investigation follows a series of scandals at the BBC.

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

Amanda Abbington, 50, accused Giovanni Pernice, 34, of harassing her in the rehearsal room, leading to her exit from the show.

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

Meanwhile, Graziano Di Prima, 30, was alleged to have kicked Love Island’s Zara McDermott, 27, with hours of revised footage as a result.

Both Italian dancers denied the allegations made, with Di Prima claiming 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 confirmed several allegations against Pernice, but cleared him of the more serious “physical assault” allegations.

Elsewhere, the BBC also came under fire last year when former newsreader Huw Edwards admitted to possessing indecent images of children.

Sentencing him last month, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told Edwards his “reputation is now in tatters” and described his crimes as “extremely serious offences”.

The disgraced broadcaster, which reported on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years.

As a result of the series of controversies, the BBC has vowed to “crack down” on abuses of power.

BBC chairman Samir Shah said: “I cannot stress enough that I am fully committed to tackling inappropriate or abusive behaviour.

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

“No one who works at the BBC should ever feel fear or worry while working here.

“What I am clear about is that we need to ensure that the BBC is a safe, secure and welcoming place to work for everyone.”

The BBC investigation strives to “ensure that the consequences of inappropriate behavior and abuse of power are understood by all”.

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