Mrs Brown's Boys viewers left in utter disbelief as controversial show returns to BBC

BBC sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys returned to screens tonight for the start of its fifth full-length series, despite enduring a turbulent few years marked by falling ratings and a high-profile racism controversy involving its creator and star, Brendan O’Carroll.

First aired in 2011, the comedy became a holiday fixture and enjoyed huge popularity in its early years. Its 2013 Christmas Day special drew 11.52 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched festive programmes of the decade.

However, viewership has steadily declined. The show last appeared in the top ten on Christmas Day in 2020, attracting 3.8 million viewers. It comes after Brendan, 69, finally announced the future of Mrs Brown to fans.

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The series has long divided audiences and critics, and was recently labelled the “worst ever BBC show” by some viewers on social media.

Comments on X during tonight’s broadcast included: “Worst programme in human history should’ve never been commissioned” and “Just speechless… I honestly don’t know one person who thinks this show is remotely funny.”

Another insisted: "This show needs to be axed asap. It's not one bit funny." Someone else fumed: "I actually hate this show with a passion and I'm Irish and from Dublin and I GET that kind of sense of humour."

In 2023, Mrs Brown’s Boys faced further scrutiny after O’Carroll made a racial slur during rehearsals for the Christmas special. Crew members were reportedly “shocked” by the remark and lodged complaints with BBC bosses.

The broadcaster suspended production and launched an investigation. O’Carroll later apologised, expressing “deep regret” over what he called a “clumsy attempt at a joke.”

Speaking publicly about the incident for the first time on Irish YouTube programme Conversations With Gerry Kelly, O’Carroll claimed his words had been “completely taken out of context.”

He also argued that the episode ultimately had a positive impact.

“The one thing that that incident did is give great awareness about racism, and great awareness about the BBC, they don't take any messing… However, I think in the long run it was a good thing, because it got people talking about it.”

O’Carroll, who has won the National Television Award for Best Comedy six times for Mrs Brown’s Boys, has made it clear he is unfazed by negative feedback.

“The ones that love me, I love them, and the ones that don’t, f*** them,” he told Kelly, adding that those who dislike the show should simply “pick up the remote and change the station.”

Despite its dwindling audience, the series maintains a loyal fan base and continues to be a fixture in the BBC’s comedy line-up.

The new series, which began tonight, marks a fresh chapter for the show as it seeks to recapture some of its former success in the face of ongoing criticism.

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