Brendan O'Carroll, star of the BBC sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys, has been fiercely defended by long-time pal and popular Irish radio host Joe Duffy after apologising for a "racist" remark during rehearsals for the BBC show's upcoming Christmas special.
The incident, which occurred last week, led to a temporary pause in production as the BBC launched an investigation.
O'Carroll, who plays the foul-mouthed matriarch Agnes Brown, reportedly attempted a joke that implied a racial slur, causing shock among cast and crew members present.
The offensive remark was made during a script read-through, with O'Carroll allegedly beginning to utter the N-word before being stopped by a co-star.
The BBC has since resumed rehearsals at its Pacific Quay studios in Glasgow, with the Christmas and New Year's specials set to air as planned.
The exact nature of O'Carroll's offensive joke was first reported by the Daily Mail which claims that, while in character as Agnes Brown, O'Carroll began saying: "I don't call a spade a spade, I call a spade a..." before starting to utter the N-word.
He was allegedly promptly interrupted by a co-star, believed to be playing Agnes' daughter, before completing the slur. O'Carroll's representative clarified that "the 'N' word was absolutely not spoken, it was implied".
O'Carroll previously referred to the incident as a "clumsy attempt at a joke" where "a racial term was implied."
In his full apology, he stated: "At a read-through of the Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas specials, there was a clumsy attempt at a joke, in the character of Agnes, where a racial term was implied. It backfired and caused offence which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised."
The BBC responded with a statement: "Whilst we don't comment on individuals, the BBC is against all forms of racism, and we have robust processes in place should issues ever arise."
Following the investigation, rehearsals have resumed at the BBC's Pacific Quay studios in Scotland. The Christmas Day and New Year's Day specials are set to air as scheduled.
A source told The Mirror: "The whole production of the Christmas special was paused while the investigation was carried out.
"The entire cast and crew were stood down in the wake of the comment as the BBC tried to get to the bottom of it."
Joe Duffy, a high-profile RTÉ presenter and close friend of O'Carroll who's worked alongside him several times over the years, has come to the comedian's defence.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline, Duffy dismissed any suggestions of racism, stating: "There isn't a racist bone in Brendan O'Carroll's body I'm telling you that straight."
Duffy touched upon his 30-year working and personal relationship with O'Carroll and added: "His main thing is to write comedy and he does it. He produces, he directs, he puts it together.
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"He has an enormous hands-on role in rehearsals - he is trying to come up with new angles, new gags or whatever - and that's why he is so successful."
The presenter also suggested that O'Carroll's success may have made him a target, saying: "I suspect he has so many enemies here and the UK that they will jump on this."
"Anyway, Brendan O’Carroll is a genius and one of the good guys,” Duffy added.
GB News has contacted the BBC for comment on Mrs Brown's Boys future.
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