Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas special cancelled as Brendan O’Carroll issues ‘sincere apology’
Brendan O’Carroll has cancelled recordings of the 2026 Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas and New Year’s Specials as he needs immediate surgery for fractures in his jaw.
The Irish actor and comedian, 70 is set to be out of work for the next few months as he confirmed the news in a statement on Monday (August 17).
The Agnes Brown star added he is ‘heartbroken’ by the decision to cancel the specials, which ‘has not been taken lightly’.
The Mrs Brown’s Boys seasonal specials are typically filmed in front of a live studio audience at BBC Scotland’s Pacific Quay Studios in Glasgow, Scotland each year. However, in a post shared to the official Mrs Brown’s Boys social media pages, O’Carroll confirmed the shows will not go ahead.
He penned: “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. 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.
“I am talking with the BBC about getting Mrs. Brown’s Boys back on the screen in 2027.
“I will sadly have to postpone both the 3 Arena Dublin and INEC Killarney Shows “Mrs. Brown’s Boys D’Panto?” which were scheduled for later this year. We are currently working with MCD to try to reschedule these show for 2027.
“I would like to thank MCD and the BBC for their support and understanding at this difficult time.
“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. “
He concluded: “I would like to sincerely apologise to all our fans who were looking forward to seeing the shows and for any disappointment caused.
“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 With Love, Brendan O’ Carroll.”
Mrs Brown’s Boys has been on the BBC for 15 years, having first debuted on BBC One on February 21, 2011.
For many it’s a staple on Christmas Day with last year’s statistics showing around 1.6M viewers tuned into the December 25 special in 2025.
