BBC comedy boss swerves question on ‘humour’ in Mrs Brown’s Boys-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

Mrs Brown’s Boys is often panned for its poor jokes (Picture: BBC)

BBC boss Jon Petrie remained diplomatically silent when asked for his verdict on the ‘comedy’ in controversial sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys.

The show, which has been on air since 2011, is often blasted by audiences for containing ‘painful’ jokes – although it often pulls in millions of viewers and has been a mainstay on the broadcaster for more than a decade.

However, BBC comedy director refused to be drawn on whether Mrs Brown’s Boy is ‘actually funny’ when asked during a Q&A for the BBC Comedy Showcase at Soho House last night.

Jon was asked: ‘Can I ask as comedy chief, do you actually find Mrs Brown’s Boys funny? And would you watch it if you didn’t have to?’

The TV executive awkwardly giggled while host Michelle de Swarte, who has written upcoming BBC comedy Spent, jumped in and saved him.

She declared: ‘It’s a trap. It’s a trap. Look at me. That’s a trap. Next question.’

Jon dodged a question about Mrs Brown’s Boy’s humour (Picture: Stuart Wallace/REX/Shutterstock for Edinburgh TV Festival)

Despite criticism, the sitcom has been running for more than a decade (Picture: Jennifer Lee)

Mrs Brown’s Boys’ creator Brendan O’Carroll, 68, previously shrugged off the show’s backlash and stated that comedy is ‘very subjective.;

He told BBC Radio Sounds: ‘What some people like, other people just detest. So I don’t take it too serious.

‘When we started… by about the fourth or fifth episode, we got a couple of letters from people who had autistic children.

‘It started as a couple of letters and it’s now been over 3,000. And they said that their kids watched Mrs Brown and they heard them laugh in context for the very first time.

Brendan insisted he wasn’t bothered by criticism of Mrs Brown’s Boys (Picture: BBC)

‘One woman said she was in the ­kitchen and heard her son laughing for the very first time.

‘So when you get a ­letter like that, I don’t care what the critics say. That’ll do me.’

At the end of last year, Brendan also insisted Mrs Brown’s Boys was going nowhere – and vowed to continue making the series.

He told the Daily Star: ‘As long as the BBC keep asking, we’ll keep making episodes.

Brendan said he would continue making Mrs Brown’s Boys as long as the ‘BBC keep asking’ (Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

‘It’s down to what the BBC want and what we can plan around.’

‘We are definitely making more specials. Whether we do another full series or not depends on dates.’

Mrs Brown’s Boys is centred on the titular Irish matriach, played by Brendan, who has a tendency to meddle in the lives of her six children.

While it has been panned by critics – it was described by Bruce Dessau in The Guardian as ‘predictable and vulgar’ – it has been a ratings success.

Mrs Brown’s Boys has also been nominated for awards including the Bafta for Best Situation Comedy in 2011 and it won the TV Choice Award for Best Comedy the following year.

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

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