Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Entertainment
Jasmine Allday & David Kent

Mrs Brown's Boys' Brendan O'Carroll blasts critics who say he's 'transphobic'

Mrs Brown's Boys' creator Brendan O'Carroll has blasted critics who call him and the show 'transphobic'.

The comedian plays the titular character of Mrs Brown on the BBC show and has done for decades on both stage and screen.

Whilst the programme hasn't had a new series for nearly 10 years, the show is set to make a comeback with a mini-series in 2023 after two Christmas specials.

READ MORE: Leo Varadkar's grim winter blackout warning as Dail hears energy crisis update from Tanaiste

It was due to happen in 2022, but production was put on hold due to scheduling difficulties and Covid delays.

But the sitcom has received criticism from some viewers, who claim the programme is transphobic and accused Brendan of "cultural appropriation".

However, Brendan has hit back at the comments, insisting he ignores them and just focuses on the show.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: "I don’t think about them, I write the show I write. I don’t ever think of myself as being a man playing a woman, when Mrs. Brown goes out on that stage she is a woman. Where do you draw the line?

"Is it okay for Leonardo DiCaprio to play a carpenter or do we get a carpenter? Shouldn’t we get the best person for the job?"

His comments come after his daughter Fiona O'Carroll confirmed the show will return for a new series, with filming set to take place in October.

Fiona, who is Brendan's daughter and plays Maria, Agnes' daughter in law in the show, told the RTE Guide: "In October we'll be filming Mrs Brown: two Christmas specials and the first of a mini-series of four episodes, the other three early next year.

"We've the live show in November at the SSE Arena in Belfast and 3Arena in Dublin. And we're planning more theatre dates for next year."

The show will be returning to the screens (BBC Studios - Photographer: Alan Peebles)

The mini-series had been pushed back originally, with Fiona explaining at the time that there were lots of factors causing the delay.

"Well, you know what this industry is like. There is lots of talk and lots of talk and until it is happening you will never really know. Yes, there is talk. We were supposed to be doing a mini series this year but, unfortunately, due to various different reasons it didn't happen. So, there is talk of it happening next year, a possible mini series," she said of the upcoming series.

"It is not just down to us, it is down to studio time, it is down to crew and it is down to cast."

READ NEXT:

Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.