Brendan O'Carroll has attempted to defend the use of the N-word after he came under fire.
The Irish comedian has faced stern criticism after the Mirror revealed he allegedly using the racial slur in front of staff and crew for the BBC sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys. Brendan, 60, used the vile word during a read through for the upcoming Christmas special which was filmed earlier this month.
Bosses at the BBC launched an immediate investigation and brought rehearsals to a halt. Brendan recently told the Mirror that it was a "clumsy" attempt of a "joke" which had backfired on him as he issued a grovelling apology. But just weeks before, the star appeared to defend using the word and claimed his character on the show, Agnes Brown, would be able to get away with it.
In a previously unseen interview, Brendan cited a sketch which used the N-word in the 2022 movie A Madea Homecoming which also starred Tyler Perry. He said that he and Tyler "howled laughing" over the word which they insinuated had been misheard, adding that it was "hilarious".
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Getty Images for Netflix)The MailOnline reports Brendan saying that he and Tyler had spent four years planning the Netflix special and would often communicate over FaceTime to discuss the movie. "The scene that we do, the knicker/n****er piece, we howled laughing at it. We agreed that we [Perry and O'Carroll] wouldn't get away with it - but [our characters] Madea and Mrs Brown would. So we did it, and it became one of the highlights of the f***ing movie."
In the scene, Agnes Brown says: "Now hold on, don't be getting your knickers in a twist," to which Tyler responded: "Did you call me a n***er?" "No, no, I said knicker. N***er? Knicker! N***er? Knicker!" Agnes replied. He added: "It was f***ing hilarious. And the place fell apart laughing." But earlier this month, Brendan said that in his career portraying Agnes Brown, he has never been told by the BBC to cut certain parts of his script.
He told us: "When we do the mini series, this April, May It'll be our 56th episode. I signed on for 18. This will be our 56th and in 56 episodes, three of them live, not once has the BBC said to me, 'Don't do that. Don't do this. Don't do that.' Never, ever, honest to God, never said it.
"Mrs Brown is Mrs Brown, and they just run it as it is. And I think they understand there is a nostalgic feeling to it." Asked if it was snobbery that led to critics and some comedy fans laying into him and his work, he added: "I always remember the year we made Mrs Brown D'Movie, that year - and I have up on the fridge - it held the record as the highest grossed opening of any Irish movie, and it was so far ahead that it was double what the next one was, which was Michael Collins - it was double the figures of Michael Collins.
"And I remember the Irish Film and Television Awards that year, and there wasn't one nomination in any category. And I remember thinking, 'That's odd'. But you have to remember that actors, actresses, and f***ing people in the business so I think there's a little it of begrudgery there, but understandable, you know, they look and they go, 'This thing is really f***ing successful and the **** is surrounded with his family. F***'s sake! How can you get a gig unless you're f***ing married to him?
"It must be frustrating for people. Audience-wise, again, I don't understand. I've never gone online or given a quote to say that I thought something was f***ing awful. Never. Because why would you bother? But I have gone on to say, 'Oh I love that, that is really f***ing good'."
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