Mrs Brown's Boys has not been without its tumultuous feuds over the years.
The BBC comedy goes down like Marmite with viewers as some tune in to every episode and specials all year round whereas others couldn't be paid to do so. It kickstarted its life on the airwaves with an average viewership of 753,5000.
The slapstick comedy fronted by the elderly family monarch Agnes Brown, played by Brendan O'Carroll, has had its share of controversies. The backlash from viewers has sent red flags waving with the cast but many of them are facing their own issues with production, the courts, or each other.
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UK ratings drop
Some stars of Mrs Brown’s Boys fear the comedy could be on the verge of being taken off air in the UK after figures plunged by around a third. The show has seen BBC ratings slump and some cast members are worried its days are numbered.
One telly insider speaking to the Daily Star said: “There is a feeling among some of the cast that the show is not going to run for much longer. The ratings are down and it feels like viewers are getting tired of it.
“For many of the cast, this show is their main source of income, so it’s nerve-racking to think about it ending. But they are trying to be realistic.”
However, in December 2020, Brendan announced that additional Christmas specials had been commissioned up to 2026, as he said: "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."
'Murky' behind the scenes 'secret feud'
Gary Hollywood, who plays Dino Doyle in the series, quit the show in 2020 after alleged tension behind the scenes. It is reported the star quit after a row over pay, reports The Daily Star.
Happy to be stepping away from the show, he said: “I’m getting on with my life. I’m out of the show now and to be honest, I am glad in a sense. I feel free from all the murkiness and what it is becoming.
“It’s very strange to not be on the show after 10 years of doing Christmas specials. People have been very supportive and asking if I’m okay. We have all grown up together. We have shared in success so I don’t know why this had to turn out dirty and murky. It feels like a bad divorce."
Brendan admitted last year that he misses Gary on the show. He said: “He was a great actor, and we miss him. He used to call me father. He was part of the family, and we haven’t spoken since and haven’t heard a word from him since.”
Brendan O'Carroll lawsuit dropped
Gary later dropped a pay-row lawsuit against Brendan in 2021. He launched legal action against Brendan, the BBC and TV production company Hungry Bear Media Limited under discrimination and unfair dismissal. He withdrew all claims in June 2021 during a preliminary hearing.
In papers lodged with an employment tribunal, Gary said he was paid 25% less than his colleagues for his role in 2020's six-part chat show spin-off, All Round to Mrs Brown’s.
He claimed he was dropped from one of the two Christmas specials just days before filming started and in the judgement, seen by this paper, during the hearing, Gary said that he believed that he had been induced to enter a contract, under which he agreed to receive a lower fee than his colleagues, because of a misrepresentation.
However, the Employment Tribunal ruled that “this is not a type of claim in respect of which the tribunal has jurisdiction. And therefore no dismissal order can be made”.
'Worst year of his life'
Gary admitted to mentally struggling following his exit from Mrs Brown’s Boys and his traumatic family situation. After leaving the show, he was also carrying the agony of losing his brother and the anxiety of his son's premature birth.
He told OK! Magazine: “It’s absolutely been the worst year of my life. I’ve felt depressed – it was one thing after another. As a man, you’re told to 'man up', which makes things worse."
The star lost his brother Gerard after he had been in the hospital and was given the all clear from Covid, before suffering from two heart attacks shortly after his release.
He added: "It still doesn’t make it any less painful, though, especially when you realise as time goes on that you’ll never truly get over the loss of a sibling."
The actor also had to deal with the traumatic birth of his premature son, Ollie. He said: "He came a month early and weighed just over 5lb He was jaundiced and in an incubator, so we couldn’t hold him, which was heart breaking but he’s thriving now and that’s the main thing.”
Co-star couple split after 15 years
Fiona O’Carroll split from husband of 15 years Martin Delany, who she co-starred with in the hit sitcom.
The acting pair play in-laws Maria Brown and Trevor Brown in the comedy series and started dating in their teens before tying the knot in 2006.
She said: "We wanted different things. I still have a lot of love for him and I only want the best for him and I think he feels the same way about me. There were no major fights, and nobody else was involved but it was a case of not being on the same page any longer."
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