NO ARAS FOR BREN Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll says he’s not interested in becoming the next President of Ireland
BRENDAN O’Carroll has ruled out a tilt at becoming the next President, joking that TV host Miriam O’Callaghan has her “bum over that seat”.
The Mrs Brown’s Boys’ creator, 62, previously flirted with the idea of entering politics to help those less fortunate.
But yesterday he admitted that he isn’t planning a bid for Aras An Uachtarain any time soon, as he wants to leave the way open for Michael D Higgins to serve a second term.
Asked about pursuing his Head of State ambitions on RTE Radio 1’s Marian Finucane Show, Brendan said: “No, I don’t think so. I hope Michael goes again actually, I think he’s done a fantastic job as President.”
And he joked that Marian’s RTE colleague would be ahead of him in the pecking order anyway.
He laughed: “I think you’d have to get Miriam’s bum out of the way first, trying to get that seat!
“Actually I think our female presidents have done brilliantly in the past.”
“I did toy with politics. I thought at one stage it had gotten too serious.
“At the time, none of the parties really represented what I would have liked to see happen.
He reckons Miriam O’Callaghan has a good chance
“And then you think to yourself, ‘Do you want to get in just to be a backbencher,’ for example?
“That wouldn’t be me, it wouldn’t be influential enough. I’d like to be in a position to actually affect change, rather than being on TV saying we need to do something.
“If not I’d be going nuts.”
In a wide-ranging interview, Brendan also revealed that he turned down a huge licensing deal to air Mrs Brown’s Boys in Russia because its Rory character might have been cut.
The Dublin funnyman explained: “They didn’t want any gay. It was a nice little deal — the fee you’d charge for the licensing is audience-related, so it’s a big audience.
“But no gay, absolutely no gay. So I said ‘no gay, no show’.”
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins
Telling how the Romanian version of the show simply ditched Rory’s camp persona, he added: “Their Rory character has a boyfriend but they never mention that he’s gay. But it’s Rory.
“And the comedian who plays Mrs Brown, he doesn’t even bother trying to put on a voice.”
Brendan would not be drawn on who will take over as the new Rory, following the departure of Rory Cowen earlier this year.
Mrs Brown’s Boys are top of the Chrimbo bill
He said: “The new Rory, well it’s the old Rory, but he’s had plastic surgery, and the bandages come off on Christmas Day and everybody gets to see him. He looks like Rory.
“Deano loves him, but I think Deano would like anyone with blonde hair and glasses, he’s a bit of a slut.
“The reveal is very, very good.
“He’s bandaged for the first half of the episode.”
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