Mrs Brown’s Boys to air until at least 2026, Brendan O’Carroll confirms

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The hugely popular BBC sitcom, which stars Irish comedian Brendan O’Carroll in drag as the titular Irish matriarch, returns to our screen this festive season with new episodes on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Mrs Brown’s Boys specials have been aired by the BBC every Christmas since the series’ debut in 2011, with O’Carroll confirming that the show would keep producing Christmas specials until at least 2026. “This new deal we signed last week goes all the way to 2026, which means I will be able to grow into the part, and we’ve a clause in which guarantees Mrs Brown is aired at 10pm on Christmas night, or else we don’t have to make it.” He continued: “I wanted that because if it’s not good enough for Christmas Day, then we shouldn’t be making it.” This year’s Christmas special of Mrs Brown’s Boys is titled “Orange is the New Mammy” and sees the crude-mouthed matriarch contend with the perils of life during the coronavirus pandemic. Though Mrs Brown’s Boys has earned consistently high viewership ratings throughout its time on the air, it has faced condemnation from some viewers and critics for its broad comic sensibilities.