Brendan O’Carroll Cancels Mrs Brown’s Boys Specials Over Jaw Fractures

Brendan O’Carroll Cancels Mrs Brown’s Boys Specials Over Jaw Fractures Brendan O’Carroll, creator and star of the BBC comedy Mrs Brown’s Boys, has cancelled the programme’s 2026 Christmas and New Year’s specials after doctors discovered that he has two fractures in his jaw requiring immediate surgery. The 70-year-old actor, who plays the popular character Agnes Brown, said a CT scan revealed the fractures in his mandible. He has been advised to undergo surgery and expects to need several months to recover.

O’Carroll described the decision to cancel the recordings as heartbreaking and apologised to fans who had been looking forward to the festive specials. He said he now needs to concentrate on recovering and hopes to bring Mrs Brown’s Boys back to television in 2027. The medical setback has also forced the postponement of two planned live performances of Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Panto at 3Arena Dublin and the Gleneagle Arena in Killarney. Organisers are working towards rescheduling the shows for 2027. The BBC has expressed its support for O’Carroll, wishing him a full and speedy recovery and confirming that it is working with him on plans for the show’s return next year. Mrs Brown’s Boys has been a major BBC comedy success since its television debut in 2011, with O’Carroll at the centre of the show as its creator, writer and lead performer. Despite the disappointment caused by the cancellations, O’Carroll has reassured fans that Agnes Brown and her family will return once he has recovered.