NTA viewers claim Mrs Brown’s Boys win ‘proves the public can’t be trusted’

Mrs Brown’s Boys clinched another National Television Award at the 2026 ceremony (Picture: BBC)

Mrs Brown’s Boys took home the National Television Award for best comedy last night, leaving many viewers wondering how that happened.

The controversial show – which is sort of the closest real-life equivalent we have to When The Whistle Blows – was up against Last One Laughing, Amandaland, Changing Ends and Not Going Out.

Created by and starring comic Brendan O’Carroll, Mrs Brown’s Boys centres around a sweary Dublin matriarch (O’Carroll in drag) whose family and neighbours constantly pop round her place to witness slapstick hilarity. A laugh track is relied upon heavily. 

The show celebrated the NTA triumph with an exultant tweet declaring, ‘WE WON!’ The official account added: ‘We’re absolutely delighted to win the NTA Award [sic: the ‘a’ in NTA is for award] for best comedy! 

‘A huge thank you to everyone at the BBC and RTÉ, but most of all, to YOU — our amazing audience. Your votes made this happen, and we couldn’t be more grateful.’

After first airing on RTE radio in 1992, the television sitcom version premiered on BBC One in 2011. It has gone on to win many awards over the years, including other NTAs and Baftas. 

Brendan O’Carroll was not in attendance with the cast and crew, after announcing he needs jaw surgery (Picture: Ian West/PA Wire) The show beat out stiff competition from the likes of Amandaland and Last One Laughing (Picture: BBC/Merman)

But the BBC comedy has a beleaguered relationship with mainstream viewers, many of whom deem it incredibly unfunny, relying on groan-inducing jokes and pratfalls to generate laughs. 

As a result, the NTA win didn’t go over all too well with a section of ITV viewers tuning into the ceremony.

Louise Page even tweeted: ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys winning best comedy at the National Television Awards is precisely why Burnham won’t be calling an early general election – this country absolutely cannot be trusted to vote.’

Fellow viewer Tash joked: ‘If you needed any more proof that the world still isn’t fixed after COVID, last night Mrs Brown’s Boys won an award. For COMEDY.’

Others were miffed the show had beaten out such stiff competition from its fellow nominees, with Sean writing: ‘I thought Last One Laughing UK had it in the bag easily. I’m shocked that Mrs Brown’s Boys somehow got more votes.’

O’Carroll has said he’s in talks with the BBC about the show returning for 2027 (Picture: Graeme Hunter/BBC Studios/BOC)

The win comes after the show’s planned Christmas and New Year specials were cancelled because O’Carroll needs to undergo an operation for a broken jaw. He was also not in attendance to collect the NTA.

In a statement posted to the show’s social media channels, the creator wrote: ‘It is with sincere regret I must announce that due to an unexpected medical issue I will have to cancel the recordings of the 2026 Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas and New Year’s Specials.

‘Following a CT Scan, it was found that I had two fractures in my mandible (jaw) which requires immediate surgery and a few months’ recovery.’

O’Carroll added that he has been ‘talking with the BBC about getting Mrs Brown’s Boys back on the screen in 2027’.

Mrs Brown’s Boys is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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