Mrs Brown’s Boys creator Brendan O’Carroll has announced that this year’s Christmas and New Year’s specials have been axed due to an “unexpected medical issue”.
O’Carroll, who has also starred in the show as matriarch Agnes Brown since its debut in 2011, confirmed in a statement that the upcoming shows had been cancelled to accommodate “immediate surgery and a few months’ recovery”.
He wrote in a statement on the show’s official Instagram account: “It is with sincere regret I must announce that due to an unexpected medical issue I will have to cancel the recordings of the 2026 Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas and New Year’s Specials.”
He continued: “Following a CT Scan, it was found that I had two fractures in my mandible (jaw) which requires immediate surgery and a few months recovery.”
O’Carroll also revealed that he will also be postponing his Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Panto? performances in Dublin and Killarney, which had been scheduled for later in 2026.
The statement continued: “This decision has not been taken lightly and has been made on medical advice from my consultant.
“To say I am heartbroken is an absolute understatement. I would like to sincerely apologise to all our fans who were looking forward to seeing the shows and for any disappointment caused.”
The actor said that he and MCD Productions were currently working to reschedule the showings of Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Panto for 2027.
He added that he is in the process of talking with the BBC about getting Mrs Brown’s Boys back on the screen in 2027.
The statement concluded: “I now need to focus on getting myself back to full health, and I genuinely cannot wait to see you all again in 2027. Our fans mean the world to us, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love and support and trust me Agnes Brown and her family will be back!”
Mrs Brown’s Boys, which follows the loud-mouthed Irish matriarch played by O’Carroll as she meddles in the lives of her six children, has achieved huge viewing figures for the BBC over the years, including each festive season.
In recent years, viewership has declined, with the 2025 festive special attracting a consolidated 3.2 million viewers – a big drop from the 11.5m who watched in 2013 – but it has remained a seasonal staple on BBC One.
Read more:
Mrs Brown’s Boys is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
