BBC’s Mrs Brown’s Boys has been a mainstay on our screens for over a decade but has seen a huge decline in viewers over the years – with the 2024 Christmas special pulling in just 2.2 million
The ratings for Mrs Brown’s Boys have taken a nosedive, following a poorly received Christmas special and growing calls for the comedy series to be cancelled.
The contentious BBC show, which centres around the meddling Agnes Brown (portrayed by Brendan O’Carroll), has broadcast five series and 12 Christmas Day specials since its inception in 2011.
Despite its crude and provocative humour attracting millions of viewers over the years, with the first Christmas Day special in 2013 drawing an impressive 11.52 million viewers nationwide, this marked its zenith. Following this, the show’s viewership averaged around nine million as it gradually lost popularity.
The last time it made the top 10 rated shows on Christmas day was in 2020, pulling in 3.8 million viewers, and it has only continued its downward trajectory since then.
This culminated in the 2024 Christmas Special (Ding Dong Mammy), where Mrs Brown must ‘convince her nearest and dearest that she’s not grumpy’, securing a paltry 2.2 million viewers.
Now, BBC viewers are calling for the long-running show to be cancelled. After the Christmas special aired, one viewer took to X to write: “I’m so sick of seeing Mrs Brown’s Boys on TV every single Christmas. Why would they air that s**t and take up time for good shows.”
Another quipped: “Whoever thinks Mrs Brown’s Boys is funny needs to give their heads a wobble. Please let it end once and for all.” Another unimpressed viewer agreed: “The most idiotic show on TV throughout the past decade. I turned it on to see if it’s as bad as everyone is saying, and it was ten times worse.”
Someone else fumed: “It was funny ten years ago but it needs to be cancelled and never put on air again. Where is the humour? Nowhere to be seen that’s where.”
Earlier this year, lead actor O’Carroll, 69, faced backlash after it came to light that the comedian had made a ‘clumsy joke’ implying a ‘racial term’ on set, leading to a Black staff member reportedly leaving the show and prompting a BBC investigation. This incident intensified calls for the show to be removed from screens, but these were ultimately unsuccessful.
In a recent interview, O’Carroll expressed his satisfaction at having a prime spot on the BBC. Speaking to TV Guide, he expressed his pride and privilege in being part of the BBC family, saying: “To have that now as my slot, particularly on the BBC, I’m very proud to be part of the BBC family. It is a privilege and to have had it for 11, 12 years now, I only signed up for 18 episodes and this will be 51.”
As of now, there’s no word on whether the BBC plans to renew the show for end-of-year-specials in 2025.
