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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Lauren Del Fabbro

Brendan O’Carroll says Mrs Brown’s Boys storylines are ‘based on true events’

Brendan O’Carroll is reprising his role as Mrs Brown for a fifth series (Ian West/PA) - (PA Archive)

Irish actor and comedian, Brendan O’Carroll, has said the storylines for Mrs Brown’s Boys are “based on true events”.

O’Carroll, 69, who is best known for playing the menacing matriarch, Agnes Brown, in the hit BBC comedy series, will reprise the role in a new miniseries.

The fifth series, which is due to air on August 1 on BBC One, follows Mrs Brown as her meddling – into the lives of her family and friends, takes her on a number of misadventures.

Brendan O’Carroll in the press room with the Best Comedy Award for ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ at the National Television Awards 2017, held at The O2 Arena, London. (Ian West/PA) (PA Archive)

Speaking about the new series, O’Carroll said: “Believe it or not most of the storylines are based on true events that either happened to my family or have been told to me by people about their families.

“Everybody has a story, and it’s quite common for someone in a family to say in the middle of a family disaster, ‘This is like an episode of Mrs Brown’s Boys’.

“In every episode there is something that stands out for me. I love being Agnes Brown and I love her family, and her neighbours like Winnie and Birdy.”

The new series will see Mrs Brown as she becomes the subject of a podcast, helps Winnie pass her driving test and becomes the unexpected new member of a book club where she discovers a “passion” for steamy fiction.

Mrs Brown’s Boys was first broadcast on BBC One in 2011 and has since transmitted more than 50 episodes, including Christmas specials.

Brendan O’Carroll collects the Best Sitcom award received for Mrs Brown’s Boys during the 2013 National Television Awards at the O2 Arena, London. (Ian West/PA) (PA Archive)

The Bafta-winning series is filmed in front of a studio audience which O’Carroll described as “essential”.

He said: “So many times, at the end of rehearsals for a particular episode, our director, Ben Kellett will say ‘all this needs now is the audience’ and he is so right.

“They follow every move, every line and add so much to our performances. We would be lost without them.”

The miniseries will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Friday August 1.

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