Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll reveals his family’s festive Christmas traditions…
When Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas special was first broadcast back in 2011 it was an instant success. Since then Brendan O’Carroll’s loose-lipped Mammy Agnes Brown and her annual adventures with wilful Christmas trees have become must-see seasonal telly. But how do the real-life O’Carroll family spend the festive season?
Here Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll, 63, who created Mrs Brown and her colourful family, reveals what makes his Christmas perfect…
Christmas morning!
Brendan: “I love a cosy, traditional Christmas. Jenny [Gibney, his wife and co-star on Mrs Brown’s Boys] and I get up early on Christmas Day to see if Santa’s after coming!"
Festive fashion
Brendan: "Every year we supply all the family with the same pyjamas with their names on them. On Christmas morning we video call each other or exchange photos of us in our pyjamas!"
Big breakfast
Brendan: "We have visitors over for breakfast. Jenny’s family and some friends come over for some sausages and fried eggs."
Turkey time!
Brendan: "I love to cook the Christmas dinner. It’s really traditional – turkey and ham. This year there’ll be eight of us. My Christmas walnut and cranberry stuffing is legendary!"
Family fun
Brendan: "In the evening everybody comes to our place – Fiona, Marty, Danny, Amanda, the kids, and some friends. There’s about 30 of us for Christmas tea."
On the box!
Brendan: "We all watch the Christmas episode of Mrs Brown’s Boys together and have a few drinks. I only watch it on Christmas Day… through my fingers! It’s become a lovely tradition now."
Walkabout
Brendan: "You can’t beat walking around Dublin over Christmas. It’s nice and quiet, and the lights are all on. When the kids were small I used to take them to Switzer’s window to see the moving display. It was magic. On four occasions it snowed and they remember every one."
Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas and New Year's specials air on BBC1.
