Mrs Brown's Boys actor Brendan O'Carroll will never dress as her in public over fears

Despite portraying Mrs Brown in the BBC sitcom for over 10 years, comedian Brendan O'Carroll has never dressed up as the controversial character outside of work

Brendan O'Carroll has played Mrs Brown for over a decade - but has never stepped foot in her costume in public.

The contentious BBC sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys aired its twelfth Christmas Day special this year, but far fewer people tuned in than usual. The show's ratings have taken a nosedive in recent years amid growing calls for the comedy series to be cancelled.

While its first Christmas Day special drew an impressive 11.5 million viewers in 2013, its 2024 Christmas episode pulled in just 2.2 million. Now, the programme, centred around the meddling Agnes Brown, played by Brendan, seems to be as loathed as it is loved.

In an interview with The Mirror last year, Brendan explained why he dreads dressing up as Agnes. "I don't know how women wear tights, or survive with mammaries. I have a huge admiration for women, honest to God the stuff they have to go through," he said. "And here's the thing.. I can't stand the taste of lipstick. I hate it, it tastes of soap.

"If you watch the show you'll see that I never lick my lips, never. So as soon as the show's over, it all comes off straight away and I put her back in her box." The actor was adamant that no one will ever meet Mrs Brown in person - but why? "Mrs Brown doesn't leave the theatre ever. I've never done a talk show as Mrs Brown, or an interview as her," he said.

"She has nothing to say. What would you ask her? How's the family? I have no inkling to take her onto the street. Everyone will recognise her, Jesus I'd be battered. It's hard enough being Brendan O'Carroll. If it wasn't for me doing Jonathan Ross, no one would know me. And I'd have no problem with that."

Ensuring that Mrs Brown stays in her box also extends to his wife of 18 years, Jenny. He said: "We have never had even a peck of a kiss when I'm dressed as Agnes. We've sometimes forgotten ourselves, like the first time we did the O2, it had gone great and we're all hugging everyone then I went to Jenny and we nearly... then we were like 'No, too weird'."

Brendan admitted that he only recently realised he based Agnes on his mam, who died when he was 29. "She is my mother without the education she had. She had the wisdom and the family thing that Agnes has. I know if one of the boys told Agnes they killed someone she would be so disappointed but would help them bury the body," the actor said.

But decades after the passing of his mother, could it be the death of Mrs Brown? Now, BBC viewers are calling for the long-running show to be axed. After the Christmas special aired, one viewers took to X to write: "I'm so sick of seeing Mrs Brown's Boys on TV every single Christmas. Why would they air that s**t and take up time for good shows."

Another quipped: "Whoever thinks Mrs Brown's Boys is funny needs to give their heads a wobble. Please let it end once and for all." Another unimpressed viewer agreed: "The most idiotic show on TV throughout the past decade. I turned it on to see if it's as bad as everyone is saying, and it was 10 times worse."

However, Brendan has discussed the possibility of the show returning to screens after the festive period. He told The Sun TV Mag: "As long as the BBC wants the show on Christmas Day, I want to be there. I grew up Morecambe and Wise - Christmas wasn't Christmas without that. And now so many people tell us that Christmas isn't Christmas without Mrs Brown Boys."