Mrs Brown's Boys' on-set chaos as producer 'walks out over Brendan O'Carroll racial slur'

A member of the 'Mrs Brown's Boys' production team has reportedly quit the show after creator Brendan O'Carroll used a "racial" joke and almost said the N-word during a read-through

16 Oct 2024, 10:41 by Bang Showbiz · RSVP Live

A 'Mrs Brown's Boys' crew member reportedly stormed out following an incident involving Brendan O’Carroll allegedly making a "racial" joke on set. The 69 year old star, in his role as Agnes Brown, was improvising during a script read-through for the show’s Christmas and New Year specials when he began uttering the N-word before being interrupted by his wife Jennifer Gibney.

An insider disclosed to The Sun: "Virtually everyone in the room on the day that the outburst happened were shocked, but the reading continued for some time without anyone saying or doing anything as they were so stunned. " "One member of the production team in particular was upset by what came out of his mouth and it was quickly reported to the bosses."

"There was no excuses for what he said or any kind of context or mitigation he could provide for making the slur, he just seemed to think it was amusing."

Following the episode, rehearsals were put on hold while the BBC conducted an investigation into the incident. According to reports, Brendan nearly exclaimed "I don't call a spade a spade, I call a spade a..." and then began to pronounce the N-word before being stopped.

Brendan commented on the episode, admitting in an official statement released this week: "At a read-through of the 'Mrs Brown’s Boys' Christmas specials, there was a clumsy attempt at a joke, where a racial term was implied. " He added, "It backfired and caused offence, which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised."

The spokesperson highlighted to the Daily Mail: "We would also like to clarify that the 'n' word was absolutely not spoken, it was implied."

Adding an explanation, they said, "Agnes [Mrs Brown] began the word but was stopped from finishing it by her daughter Cathy, as she knew she would be."

The BBC maintained its policy of not discussing specific cases while reemphasising its position against discrimination, with a representative declaring: "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."

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