The Mrs Brown’s Boys cast have delivered a fresh update on Brendan O’Carroll’s health after the sitcom creator was forced to miss this year’s National Television Awards while recovering from a broken jaw.
Mr O’Carroll, 70, was absent from the star-studded ceremony at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday night, where the BBC sitcom scooped the Best Comedy award.
His co-stars dedicated the victory to the actor and writer, revealing they had FaceTimed him shortly after collecting the trophy.
Conor Moloney, who portrays the priest in the long-running comedy, told the winners’ press conference: “We’re just delighted, particularly for Brendan, who’s just had this operation, so he just FaceTimed us now, and it was just lovely too.
“So it’s great that we won, particularly for him tonight.”
Co-star Fiona Gibney, who plays Sharon, reassured fans that Mr O’Carroll’s recovery is progressing well.
“He’s doing great, isn’t he? Yeah, no, he’s doing very well. He is doing very well. He’s very sad not to be here,” she said.
Mr O’Carroll is currently recovering after a CT scan revealed he had sustained two fractures to his jaw, requiring immediate surgery.
The unexpected health setback forced the cancellation of the planned 2026 Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas and New Year’s specials.
His live touring stage shows, Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Panto?, were also postponed following medical advice from his consultant.
The actor said following the diagnosis that he was “heartbroken” by the disruption but would be focussing on returning to full health.
His recovery is expected to take several months, keeping the Mrs Brown’s Boys creator off screens for the remainder of the year.
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However, fans have already been given reason to look forward to the sitcom’s return, with the cast revealing at the NTAs that a brand new series is set to arrive next year.
The victory proved one of several major moments during an eventful night at the O2.
Sir David Attenborough claimed the Best Presenter prize, marking a remarkable achievement in his 100th year.
The victory meant Ant and Dec were denied the accolade for a second consecutive year, having previously held a 23-year grip on the award before Gary Lineker dethroned them at last year’s ceremony.
Mr Attenborough was not present to collect the trophy himself, with producer Mark Brownlow accepting on his behalf and using the speech to highlight the threat posed by climate change.
Jeremy Clarkson, whose Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm picked up the Reality Docuseries award, addressed his cancer diagnosis publicly for the first time during the winners’ press conference.
The 66-year-old, who earlier this year disclosed he was in remission from prostate cancer, played down the severity of his recent health battles.
“I wasn’t emotional; it was annoying. I had a heart thing, and I had a bit of cancer, but I wasn’t away really; it was two weeks,” he said.
“It was just annoying because I missed a lot of the harvest time.”
Alan Carr also enjoyed a memorable evening, collecting two awards.
After being honoured with the Special Recognition prize, introduced by a comedic sketch featuring Paloma Faith arriving in a coffin and Amanda Holden singing, he went on to accept the Factual Entertainment gong for Celebrity Traitors, quipping: “I bet you’re sick of me.”
The Drama Performance category made NTA history with its first-ever all-female shortlist, with Vicky McClure emerging victorious for her portrayal of explosives officer Lana in Trigger Point.
Sheridan Smith’s I Fought the Law claimed the New Drama prize, while Call The Midwife triumphed in the Returning Drama category.
Strictly Come Dancing secured the Best Talent Show award ahead of its planned revamp, while This Morning maintained its winning run in the Best Daytime category, with presenters Cat Deeley, Ben Shephard, Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary collecting the trophy.
Lee Mack retained his Quiz Game Show crown for The 1% Club, attending the ceremony with his three children and paying tribute to his wife.
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show took home the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award, while Emmerdale won Best Serial Drama, with Jeff Hordley also recognised for his individual performance.
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