Mrs Brown's Boys' Brendan O'Carroll has opened up about the early days of his career, saying he was on the "edge of a breakdown" before the hit BBC comedy series was picked up. The series, which has now been running for over ten years, doesn't look like it is going anywhere soon as two more Christmas specials have been commissioned for this year, as well as a four-part mini-series in 2023 - the first full series since 2013. You can read more about that here.
Before landing the role, Brendan said he felt "numb" as a film he had written and directed had failed to secure financial backing. He also found himself in serious debt after trying to fund the film, called Sparrows, himself. His money woes also occurred in the same year he split from his first wife Doreen Dowdall.
Opening up about the state of his mental health during that time, Brendan revealed: "I was on the edge of a breakdown, a clinician would have said I was depressed, definitely. I have never been as low before or since. I was numb, it was like I walked down a dark alley and I couldn’t remember the way out." You can get more showbiz news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Brendan, who was talking with The Sun, revealed that a dream about his late mother Maureen, saved him from the dark time in his life. She was the inspiration behind the character of Mrs Agnes Brown. He said: "My mother said to me in a dream, 'Get up off your knees and do something'."
Shortly after his dream, Brendan was contacted by businessman Denis Desmond, who offered him the opportunity to transform the original radio show version of Mrs Brown's Boys into a stage production. He said his former radio show was then "reborn" and became a massive hit with audiences at the Glasgow Pavilion before it was spotted by BBC producer Stephen McCrum. A television series would then be commissioned in 2011.
In August this year, Brendan confirmed that the sitcom would return for a new series and filming is planned for this month. Mrs Brown's Boys' return was due to happen in 2022, but production was put on hold due to scheduling difficulties and Covid delays. You can get more TV news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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