"I don’t ever think of myself as being a man playing a woman."

Mrs Brown’s Boys creator Brendan O’Carroll has hit back at so-called "woke" critics of the show, saying that he doesn't even "think about them." O'Carroll created the sitcom in 2011 and plays the titular Mrs Brown in the show. Since it first aired, it has become one of the most divisive comedies of recent years, building up a loyal fan base along with an equally passionate group of people who just can't stand it. The last full series of Mrs Brown's Boys aired in 2013 but since then it has returned for a number of festive specials and a feature-length movie. However, in recent years the specials have performed poorly, with flagging audience ratings and continuous bad reviews from critics in the mix. And in February, O'Carroll caused controversy when he was accused of making a "racist" joke on an appearance on BBC's The One Show. He prompted a backlash after a comment about about a fellow guest's "colour". Meanwhile, some people have called for Mrs Brown's Boys to be cancelled on the grounds that it is allegedly transphobic. Despite this, both O'Carroll and producers have committed to the show running until at least 2026. And he says the "woke" critics don't hold him back.

"I don’t think about them, I write the show I write," O'Carroll shared. "I don’t ever think of myself as being a man playing a woman – when Mrs Brown goes out on that stage she is a woman."

Speaking about accusations of cultural appropriation, he told the The Sun: "Where do you draw the line? Is it okay for Leonardo DiCaprio to play a carpenter or do we get a carpenter? Shouldn’t we get the best person for the job?"

Mrs Brown's Boys is set to return to our screens next year for a mini-series as part of belated 10th anniversary celebrations.

Brendan’s daughter Fiona O’Carroll, who plays Maria Brown, revealed: "In October we’ll be filming Mrs Brown – two Christmas specials and the first of a mini-series of four episodes, the other three early next year.’

"We’ve the live show in November at the SSE Arena in Belfast and 3Arena in Dublin. And we’re planning more theatre dates for next year."

So that's something to look forward to. For some of you.