The sitcom continued its festive tradition with its 12th Christmas Day special this year. But it only pulled in 2.2million viewers, compared with the 11.5million who watched the first special in 2013

Mrs Brown’s Boys creator Brendan O’Carroll has said a new series of the show will be made despite plummeting ratings and calls for it to be cancelled.

The sitcom continued its festive tradition with its 12th Christmas Day special this year. But it only pulled in 2.2million viewers, compared with the 11.5million who watched the first special in 2013. Brendan took to X to tell fans the show will be back in the New Year.

He said: “We are going to film another series in April and May. It’s lovely to be asked to do another one.” The BBC’s head of comedy Jon Petrie defended the show despite an online backlash to the Christmas special, saying: “Brendan has created an iconic comedy character in Agnes Brown.

“Mrs Brown’s Boys is a Bafta-winning comedy show and one of the BBC’s most-watched comedies ever… I’m proud to have it in the BBC Comedy stable.”

The sitcom follows the foul-mouthed Agnes Brown, played by Brendan. The matriarch meddles in the lives of her family and friends, intruding on their privacy to make sure nothing is kept secret from her, with plenty of slapstick comedy and silly voices.

But despite its apparent popularity, some are calling for it to be axed. Following the Christmas special, viewers took to X.

One wrote: “Whoever thinks Mrs Brown’s Boys is funny needs to give their heads a wobble. Please let it end once and for all.”