A very familiar face is missing from Mrs Brown’s Boys this Christmas, as Rory Cowan – who plays Rory Brown – quit the show earlier in the year.
But rather than kill of the popular character, the comedy has replaced Rory C with another actor, revealed in tonight’s special.
Actor Rory, who played Agnes’s gay hairdresser son for 26 years, revealed he hadn’t been happy for a couple of years before he quit this July.
Part of the reason he decided to leave the hit comedy was to be closer to his mother Esther, who has dementia.
The hectic touring schedule meant that he was over in Australia last year when his mum was very ill.
He told The Irish Telegraph: “I’m in a happier place now because I’m home and I can pop over to see my mother whenever I want.”
At the time Rory announced his departure, show creator Brendan O’Carroll paid a warm tribute.
“To all of us it feels like Ronaldo leaving Man Utd. But Ronaldo went on to amazing success which I know Rory will too,” he told The Irish Sun.
“I can’t even quantify the contribution Rory has made to our success and the well-being of me and my family, not just on screen or stage but way before that as a friend and a driving force in getting us here. He’s a legend.”
Awww.
Although Mrs Brown’s Boys has been a smash hit TV show it started out as a stage show which was a huge success around the word.
The show became so popular that a film called Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie was released in 2014.