Mrs Brown's Boys' biggest controversies from marriage split, on-set feud and ratings drop

Mrs Brown's Boys, the BBC sitcom that first aired in 2011, has had its fair share of controversies over the years.

The show, which follows the life of loud-mouthed Irish matriarch Agnes Brown, played by creator Brendan O'Carroll, quickly became a hit with up to 12 million viewers tuning in - and even proved to be so popular it spawned a spin-off movie!

The cast is made up of O'Carroll's close friends and family, who play the six children that Agnes loves to meddle with and the popular series has won multiple awards including a BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy, a TV Choice Award for best comedy, and won at the National Television Awards for three consecutive years in 2013, 2014 and 2015 for Best Comedy.

However, Mrs Brown's Boys has faced several awkward moments over the years and there are fears that the BBC comedy could even be taken off air due to plummeting ratings.

Here, we take a closer look at some of the controversies to have hit the beloved show...

Ratings drop

One of the biggest threats to Mrs Brown's Boys is a recent slump in ratings which saw viewership down around a third compared to in previous years - something which left cast members fearful that the show could soon be axed.

Sharing their fears with the Daily Star, one telly insider admitted: "There is a feeling among some of the cast that the show is not going to run for much longer."

They added: "The ratings are down and it feels like viewers are getting tired of it. For many of the cast, this show is their main source of income, so it's nerve-racking to think about it ending. But they are trying to be realistic."

Behind the scenes drama

There has also been some drama behind the scenes of the hugely popular show Mrs Brown's Boys, after the actor who played Dino Doyle in the series, Gary Hollywood, left the show due to ongoing backstage tension.

It is claimed that he had a disagreement about his salary before quitting the show after being a valued cast member for several years.

In a recent chat, he expressed his relief to have left, saying: "I'm getting on with my life. I'm out of the show now and to be honest, I am glad in a sense."

Gary called his experience on the show "strange" after spending ten years doing Christmas specials, adding: "I feel free from all the murkiness and what it is becoming."

The star also mentioned that fans have been supportive since he left. Recalling his time on the show, he further added: "We have all grown up together. We have shared in success. So I don't know why this had to turn out dirty and murky. It feels like a bad divorce."

Tense lawsuit

In an escalation of the drama behind the scenes, Mrs Brown's Boys creator and star Brendan O'Carroll, went on to face a lawsuit from Gary, who accused Brendan of constructive dismissal and workplace discrimination following a wage dispute.

Gary, who resigned from the sitcom, stated: "I feel I wasn't being paid equally and I wasn't being given an explanation for decisions. When I tried to resolve it, nothing was done. I was just disregarded."

He voiced his dissatisfaction with the situation, continuing: "But I won't put up with it any more. I won't be treated like that. This has gone too far. They shouldn't do this to people."

Gary, was sure he was paid less than his co-stars for the spin-off show All Round To Mrs Brown's. He said: "I do feel there is bullying going on there because when that happens, you feel like you can't speak up about stuff."

"I've known Brendan for 20 years. I very much looked at him as a mentor and I had a lot of respect for him. I always thought he had my back," he added.

"But then the door shut and all I got from Brendan was a single text that said I was out of [a festive episode]. That hurt. Why did he not pick up the phone? This is extremely sad for me."

"This is a man who has been a father figure for me. I expected more. I was discarded," he confessed.

'Worst year of his life'

Gary admitted to struggling mentally after leaving Mrs Brown's Boys and dealing with family issues. Gary played the hairdresser from 2004 to 2020 and as well as being caught up in a wage dispute, also suffered a deeply tragic personal loss at the same time.

Gary recently opened up about the pain of losing his brother and the worry of his son's premature birth in an interview with OK!, where he told us: "It's absolutely been the worst year of my life."

He added: "I've felt depressed it was one thing after another. As a man, you're told to 'man up', which makes things worse."

Gary had to face the tragic loss of his brother Gerard, who passed away after suffering two heart attacks shortly after being discharged from hospital.

"It still doesn't make it any less painful, though, especially when you realise as time goes on that you'll never truly get over the loss of a sibling," he shared.

He also opened up about the distressing birth of his son, Ollie, who arrived a month early and weighed just over 5lb.

"He was jaundiced and in an incubator, so we couldn't hold him, which was heart breaking," Gary revealed, adding, "But he's thriving now and that's the main thing."

Marriage Split

Another sad blow to befall the show was the news that Fiona O'Carroll had parted ways with her husband Martin Delany after 15 years of marriage.

The pair, who play in-laws Maria Brown and Trevor Brown in a popular BBC comedy series, started dating in their teens before getting married in 2006.

Fiona said: "We wanted different things. I still have a lot of love for him and I only want the best for him and I think he feels the same way about me."

She added: "There were no major fights, and nobody else was involved but it was a case of not being on the same page any longer."