Phoenix Magazine Christmas 2024
Crosswords3 mins ago
I don't watch this show - I think it is abyssmal and not in the least bit funny BUT I am intrigued to know what O'Carroll said that seems to have caused so much offence!
It's widely reported but without any detail - is it really too awful to be quoted (even with asterisks)?
No best answer has yet been selected by davebro3. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.From my search, apparently he was asked, by a chap with darker skin, whether he'd have a particular character on the show and he replied words to the effect of it was a good idea he hasn't had anyone of that colour on before and indicated his own face. Not a joke, just normal conversation as far, as I could find. But the social media went nuts as usual.
"During a reading of the script while in character as Agnes Brown, O’Carroll is said to have said ‘I don’t call a spade a spade, I call a spade a...’
He then started to utter the N-word before he was stopped by a co-star, whose intervention was allegedly delivered while in character as Agnes’ daughter."
Used/implied. It's still the crux of the furore.
While IMO it's still a storm in a teacup, and folk ought not be so keen to be offended, he ought to have known it'd trigger such a response. But that said, if it was the case that it was only at the stage of recording with co-stars & staff, isn't that the last chance opportunity when one can decide what might be 'over the socially accepted line' and make changes ?
Brendan O'Carroll tightly controls the scripts, he's been round the block long enough to know what is and isn't acceptable in a BBC sitcom. It certainly would not have been an off the cuff remark. His wife would have been well aware of the line.
When the series first started he got away with the frequent use of an Irish version of the F word. In more recent series he just uses the F word. His idea of comedy and he keeps trying to push boundaries and be outrageous.
He tries too hard.
DDIL My information was undoubtedly credible, and the incident I recalled did indeed occur. My error was in assuming it was the most recent one. According to the Daily Mail, and who can say for certain if they are correct, it appears my explaination was not the latest incident. It happened in the studio, where many things are said in jest that perhaps are not meant for public consumption.