Mrs Brown’s Boys viewers make plea to BBC as new ‘stupid’ series premieres: ‘We’ve suffered enough!’
Social media erupted with complaints as the fifth series of Mrs Brown’s Boys returned to BBC One on Friday evening.
Frustrated viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to voice their displeasure about the sitcom’s comeback.
“I’ve had a tough week. Very tough. Then when I thought it couldn’t get any worse the man on tv said ‘and now on BBC 1 a new series of Mrs Brown’s Boys’ f*** sake. Haven’t we suffered enough??” posted one.
A second viewer penned: “Not for me #mrsbrownsboys,” while a third added: “It’s absolute s****, waste of license payers money.”
Multiple posts demanded the BBC cancel the programme entirely, with one user writing “Axe this s***”.
Another shared a GIF that read “make it stop” while other begged: “Seriously BBC completely stupid to bring back Mrs Browns Boys. It’s s****.”
However, the programme retained some defenders, with supporters arguing that those who dislike it should simply change channels rather than complain online.
“I don’t care what anyone says but I think Mrs Browns Boys is funny,” one wrote.
Someone else shared: “Over to Mrs Brown’s boys it is then,” with one more adding: “Mrs Browns Boys If you don’t like it ….Don’t watch it.” (sic)
The sitcom has become notorious for dividing British audiences since its BBC debut 14 years ago.
Whilst the programme secured six National Television Awards for Best Comedy and attracted 11.52 million viewers for its 2013 Christmas special, its popularity has significantly declined in recent years.
The show last appeared in the top 10 Christmas Day ratings in 2020 with 3.8 million viewers, and audience numbers have continued to fall since then.
Critics have consistently dismissed the programme for its crude innuendo, toilet humour and what they describe as an outdated combination of silly voices and slapstick comedy.
Yet millions remain devoted to Agnes Brown’s antics in Finglas, creating what many describe as television’s most polarising programme – viewers either adore it or cannot bear to watch a single moment.
The programme faced significant controversy last year when rehearsals for the 2024 Christmas special were halted after a racial term was implied during production.
The incident sparked widespread criticism and renewed debate about the show’s content.
O’Carroll addressed the controversy by distinguishing between his personal views and those of his character, insisting the contentious material was spoken by Mrs Brown rather than reflecting his own beliefs.
He defended the scene as an attempt to satirise intergenerational racism, explaining that his character “doesn’t get racism” in the same way she struggles to understand homosexuality despite her son being gay.
Speaking on YouTube show, Conversations with Gerry Kelly, the creator maintained that comedy should challenge boundaries, stating: “Comedy should offend somebody somewhere. Otherwise, I’m not doing the job.”
He suggested the incident had at least reignited important discussions about racial prejudice in society.
O’Carroll has adopted an uncompromising attitude towards those who criticise his work. Delivering a two-word response, he simply stated: “The ones that love me, I love them, and the ones that don’t, f*** them.”
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The actor suggested detractors should simply “pick up the remote and change the station” rather than complain.
He remains adamant about maintaining the show’s controversial elements, recalling a 2018 confrontation with BBC executive Danny Cohen who wanted profanity removed to enable an earlier broadcast slot.
“The show is the show,” O’Carroll told Cohen. “I don’t care when you put it on, we are not changing the show.”
He declared his commitment to continue “pushing the envelope” and challenging societal norms through his comedy.