For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

A clip showing Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll making a “racist” jibe about American actor Tyler Perry has resurfaced as the show faces scrutiny over its “jokes” about race.

O’Carroll, the 69-year-old Irish actor who plays the title character in the long-running BBC comedy, recently apologised for making a “clumsy” joke where a “racial term was implied” during rehearsals for the forthcoming Christmas specials.

The BBC halted filming to launch an investigation after the remark was flagged to bosses. O’Carroll then said he “deeply regrets the clumsy line”.

This wouldn’t be the first time that the comedian has come under fire for his remarks about race. While appearing on The One Show in 2022 alongside Perry, O’Carroll said that Mrs Brown’s Boys had never had anyone of Perry’s “colour” feature on the show before.

O’Carroll had a guest role as Mrs Brown in Perry’s Netflix film A Madea Homecoming. As Madea, Perry plays an older woman.

When asked if he thought his fellow guest could feature on Mrs Brown’s Boys, O’Carroll responded: “He’s very expensive and so far we haven’t had anybody his colour in there,” the Irish actor continued, pointing at his face on the word “colour”.

O’Carroll said that he would love the actor to appear on the show or for the pair to make another film together, while Perry laughed at the comment while repeating the words: “Nobody my colour.”

“Times have changed, change the world,” Perry. “Diversity rules, here we go.”

open image in gallery

The One Show viewers were shocked by O’Carroll’s comment, which was described by one viewer as “offensive at best”.

“Brendan O’Caroll just made a racist remark on the one show and not one person called him out. Shame on you BBC,” said one viewer, as another added: “I misunderstood or was that blatant racism on a prime time @BBCOne show #wtf.” The Independent has contacted representatives for O’Carroll and Perry.

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Advertisement

Try for free

The remarks are in line with the tone of the Perry-directed comedy, which features several jokes about race and ethnicity.

In one scene, Mrs Brown greets Madea by crossing her arms and saying “Wakanda forever”, in reference to the Black Panther motto from the Marvel films.

Another clip shows the actor at dinner with Perry’s character, where she says “I’m Mrs Brown”, with one of the co-stars replying: “I’m a brown too.”

The specific “racial term”, used last Wednesday (9 October) by O’Carroll on set, has not been disclosed.

The BBC investigated the incident and halted rehearsals, which have since resumed at the corporation’s Pacific Quay studios in Glasgow. It is understood that the specials are still scheduled to air on BBC One this festive season in their usual Christmas Day and New Year’s Day slots.

open image in gallery

A BBC spokesperson said: “While we don’t comment on individuals, the BBC is against all forms of racism, and we have robust processes in place should issues ever arise.”

Mrs Brown’s Boys has been a controversial presence on TV Christmas schedules for many years, and typically provokes strong reaction from viewers and critics.

The Independent’s Nick Hilton gave the previous New Year’s Day special a zero-star review, writing: “Observing that it’s unfunny is like observing that the sea is wet.”

The show is still popular, with more than four million tuning in last Christmas, but there have still been calls to reassess the programming in recent years, since critics say it is outdated, nauseating and unfunny.

In June, Jon Petrie, the BBC director of comedy, did not respond when he was asked whether he found Mrs Brown’s Boys funny.

At an audience Q&A for the BBC Comedy Showcase, an audience member asked Petrie: “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?”

Petrie stayed silent but laughed awkwardly. The journalist who asked the question said: “I’ll take that as a ‘no’, then.”

ROWS and rule breaking plunged the Big Brother house into chaos last night – with TWO stars already threatening to quit the ITV show.

Ali’s bags were packed and her closest pal Daze also was ready to walk just nine days into the social experiment series.

5

Advertisement

Big Brother legend and The Sun columnist Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace summed up the threats as “pathetic” and slammed the housemates for their snowflake behaviour.

She also waded into drama between Marcello and Sarah after his “cringe” comments about women.

Read on for Aisleyne’s hilarous take on the latest drama!

CLASH OF THE TITANS

5

Advertisement

Last night we saw yet again Ali and Khaled going head to head. It’s like a clash of the titans, it’s like an alpha clash.

They’re both very alpha. To be fair, yet again I feel like Khaled really won the argument.

Because Ali didn’t have control, and because she didn’t, she was like at the end of the argument, I’m going to walk out. I’m going to leave.

What? Girl, you’re a psychiatrist! You’re meant to be better than this, understand emotions.

You have single handedly put me off ever getting a therapist, and I probably need one!

QUITTERS

5

It wasn’t only Ali that wanted to leave last night, it was Daze as well.

They both went into the Diary Room and said they were considering leaving.

I think it’s really pathetic and I don’t understand from two very strong females.

I mean, one ties herself to motorways and one is a psychiatrist.

People don’t understand just how hard it is in that house. I feel like I need a medal, because I lasted three months, and these lot want to walk after two weeks? Pathetic.

I’m not a psychologist but if I was to take a guess Ali has a lot of control over everything in her life outside the house and in the house she is not in control.

HOUSE TALK

5

Lily still continues to be good entertainment. When she’s happy, she’s happy and when she’s sad you know about it. She’s like a human emoji.

She’s like marmite. Love her or hate her, she’s great entertainment.

Are we about to see the weirdest romance of all time? Who? Marcello and Baked Potato…

IT STINKS

5

Has Sarah slayed the lyrical cringe bag that is Marcello? Time will tell.

I think she is standing on strong ground with him, they had a face to face.

Who would have known that they were so close, like brother and sister? Like besties. But she stood up to him. He said something cruel and vile, that she smelled like a period.

That to me, is pushing your jokes too far. He reminds me of a modern day Carry On film, your jokes are not OK, they’re not acceptable.

And it’s really cringe. Show us your personality without having to be sexual.

RULE IT OUT

These lot this year don’t stop breaking the rules! It’s two weeks in guys. Get a grip.

Last night we saw Lily and Martha getting sent to jail in the garden.

And Martha said, I don’t care, I’m going to carry on talking about if someone has nominated me.

Seriously girl, you’re just going to make enemies, get the hot water taken off the house, and it’s going to be a mess. Grow up.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

The fourth person from this season of The Great British Bake Off has left the tent with Mike receiving an outpouring of support from viewers after penning an emotional letter about his time on the Channel 4 show.

The 29-year-old farm manager was eliminated after Caramel Week, with Georgie being named as Star Baker by judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, who recently revealed that she doesn’t actually watch the show.

Mike, who is also an advocate for the LGBT+ community in the farming industry, was as a firm favourite among viewers and the other contestant, said that “it was my time to go” in response to his exit. “I feel like the quality of what everyone else is doing is just breathtaking. I’m going to miss everyone,” he added.

Fellow baker, Sumayah, said that she was relieved to be staying on “but I’m sad at the same time – Mike was genuinely the heart of the group. He’s been a good friend.”

Mike has since written a lengthy letter about Bake Off, which has been shared on the show’s official X/Twitter account, adding that he had hoped that he hadn’t “let anyone down”.

His letter said: “What can I say but thank you!!! Thank you to every single person involved in putting together this magnificent show and thank you a million times over for including me in it!! Every person I have met throughout this experience has been among the most glorious people I have ever had the good fortune to know.

I have been made to feel welcomed and supported at every single second! Bake Off is so tremendously special and its joy and laughter and positivity has boosted me for years as a dedicated fan! Now, to be part of the family and part of Bake Off history is a privilege that I will cherish and treasure forever! I have also made 11 spectacularly wonderful lifelong friends – how can I possibly express my gratitude for that!!

“As for Alison, the love, laughter, and hugs are even better than I ever dared to hope! Thank you to both Alison and Noel for the unending support and to Paul and Prue for more brilliant feedback than I ever dreamed of! This whole experience has been pure magic! From showcasing my favourite queer books to celebrating British farming and farm produce in every bake, I am so proud of everything I have achieved!

“I just hope that I haven’t let anyone down and that everyone has enjoyed watching a fraction as much as I have enjoyed being here! P.S. You have my heart!! Sending oodles of love, hugs and thanks, Mike.”

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Advertisement

Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

When sharing Mike’s letter, the Bake Off account added: “Oh Mike, you have done the very opposite of letting anyone down and you should be so proud.”

Many viewers have since echoed these sentiments, with many sad to see Mike go.

“Ah I’ll miss Mike. And I hope he now knows he hasn’t let anyone down. Far from it!,” said one fan.

Another wrote: “Aw, how lovely is Mike! So sad he’s gone but he can hold his head up high and be proud of himself.”

A third added: “No matter where you are just know that you’re loved and have it a little easier for someone who is struggling with their coming out.”

open image in gallery

Advertisement

Mike now joins Hazel and John as the first handful of bakers who have been eliminated. Jeff withdrew in the second week after struggling to continue following an illness.

MAFS UK fans have begged producers to step in after Holly admitted she’s afraid to confront groom Alex during arguments.

Last night the Married At First Sight UK couple got into another row after Alex‘s behaviour during the most recent dinner party caused Holly to storm off.

3

Advertisement

3

3

She was unimpressed with his conversation with one of the imposter brides.

Alex later insisted Holly should bring up such matters in private – but she revealed why she feels unable to when the cameras aren’t around.

He said: “If I feel someone, I’ll tell you. I ain’t gonna hold it in. You just like to act like you’re cool when you’re not.

“Big Holly only comes out when there’s cameras around and there’s people around.

“If I start raising my voice, it’s gonna be a madness.”

Holly replied: “This is why I can’t confront you, because ‘it’s gonna be a madness’.”

Fans rushed to social media after the row to have to their say.

One wrote: “Quite shocked that the experts haven’t picked up on or questioned holly expressing how she only brings up issues in front of people due to feeling intimidated by Alex in private.”

Another said: “Has anyone thought that maybe Holly is waiting until there are people and cameras around to confront Alex because she doesn’t feel safe to do it alone? He’s a huge red flag.”

And a third added: “That is one big red flag right there what Holly said about wanting to be in a safe space and being around people when she wants to talk to alex about something that is bothering her.”

The Sun has contacted reps for MAFS UK for comment.

When it was announced Alex was one of this year’s MAFS UK grooms, scores of women came forward to accuse him of abuse – with one branding him a “dangerous individual”.

A group of women have clubbed together to petition Channel 4 to reconsider airing scenes including the personal trainer from Birmingham, and even reached out to Married At First Sight UK‘s dating expert Mel Schilling.

RUBY Fox-Miligan is set to make a shock discovery as her mum Helen’s will is revealed in Emmerdale.

She previously received a call from one of the nurses at the local hospital as her mum fell ill and was desperate to see her on the ITV soap.

4

Advertisement

4

Ruby (Beth Cordingly) swaggered into the hospital before the nurse she spoke to on the phone tried to break some news to her on Emmerdale.

She accused her mum of playing “mind games” as she thought she was released.

Caleb (William Ash) watched in the hallway, as she also said that she was only at the medical centre to “watch her die.”

However, her mother died 20 minutes before her arrival which left her shocked when she stood by the corpse.

But Caleb will be on tenterhooks as he is worried that his secret will be exposed when Helen’s will is read.

Ruby will completely horrified by one of the documents as Caleb thinks the game is up and he will be rumbled.

It will be revealed by the will that before she died, Helen was secretly in communication with Ruby’s daughter Steph.

Ruby’s world will be turned upside down as she feels isolated and vulnerable.

She will go back to Chas (Lucy Pargeter) as she tells her pal how grateful she is to Caleb for giving her a vital link with the Dingle family.

Whilst her clan were estranged, the Dingle’s are known to be closely-knit, which gives her much comfort.

Meanwhile, Caleb is momentarily relieved after he makes it through the will reading unscathed.

But will his wife stay in the dark forever?

This comes after Ruby received an unexpected delivery of her mother’s ashes.

She later made her way to the Woolpack to drown her sorrows where Chas was on hand.

EMMERDALE NEWS

Advertisement

Everything you need to know about Emmerdale

Chas suggested that she should have gone back to the hospital to find out Helen’s last words as a form of closure.

It turns out that her mother was asking for her on her deathbed as she hung on – even hoping for a final reconciliation.

Ruby also discovered Caleb’s secret visit to the hospital ward to see Helen before she died, which led to a fierce confrontation.

4

Advertisement

4

Emmerdale is available to watch on ITV1 and stream on ITVX.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

What would it feel like if, for eight years, you were in love with someone who was not who they said they were? If they introduced you to all their friends, but none of them actually existed? Or spent every night on Skype with you, listening to you sleep while refusing to ever show their face? Sweet Bobby, Netflix’s latest true crime documentary, introduces us to Kirat Assi, who experienced exactly that.

In 2009, Kirat fell prey to an elaborate romance fraud, carried out on Facebook, that went on until 2018. It involved up to 60 characters, each with their own fake profiles, who only existed in the scammer’s twisted imagination. At the centre of them all was Bobby, a handsome cardiologist from Kirat’s west London Sikh community. Bobby was a real person, but he wasn’t really the one talking to Kirat; it was her cousin, Simran Bhogal. Kirat, now 43, still doesn’t know why Simran – who was just a teenager when the lying began – tortured her throughout her thirties. “I had what I thought happened, and that’s just been ripped apart over the last few years,” Kirat tells me over video call. “I just don’t know what the truth is.”

The new documentary, out today, comes three years after Kirat’s tale of deception gripped millions of listeners in Tortoise Media’s podcast of the same name. “I thought it was going to be a small thing,” she says of the audio show’s release. Its popularity (it shot to No 1 in the UK podcast charts) has been vindicating. “With this documentary, I’m hopeful that other victims will feel that they can speak out against their perpetrators and feel safe going to the police or talking to people about it without feeling stupid,” she says.

open image in gallery

Kirat’s experience is believed to be the longest known case of catfishing on record. It began when Simran’s ex-boyfriend, JJ, sent Kirat a message on Facebook, seeking her advice on how to win her cousin back. Months later, when Kirat was told JJ had died, Simran gave her the details for his brother, Bobby, so she could send her condolences. However, it was Simran behind Bobby’s scarily realistic profile. They became fast friends and he told her he was married, but soon began sharing details about his collapsing relationship. In 2013, things took a dramatic turn when Simran, posing as Bobby’s wife this time, shared a Facebook post saying that Bobby had been shot several times in Kenya and was in a coma.

Simran, whose family were friends with Bobby’s, would later call Kirat to tell her that Bobby was now in witness protection in New York. “It was like something out of a movie,” Kirat admits in the documentary. This ruse allowed Simran to start messaging Kirat from a new fake profile, claiming it was Bobby under a new name to protect his identity. Disaster continued to strike fake Bobby: his marriage ended and just over a year later, in 2015, he suffered a brain tumour, followed by a stroke. Conveniently, this meant he was unable to speak over the phone and the witness protection scheme forbade him from appearing over video call. At various points in the film, viewers may question Kirat’s naivety, but the lies were always substantiated by Simran’s cast of supporting characters, such as Bobby’s doctor, Rajvir, or his cousin, Yashvir – all of whom were messaging Kirat, but none of whom were real.

One of the most emotional moments in Sweet Bobby comes when Kirat is played a farewell message she recorded when she was told Bobby was going to die. At that point, Bobby had told Kirat that he loved her but she hadn’t said it back. “It was horrible to think that he might die,” she tells me. “… You carry a lot of guilt for not giving the person what they want.”

open image in gallery

Of course, Bobby didn’t die; he miraculously recovered, and the relationship intensified. They began Skyping constantly, even falling asleep with the line open. The sound of the Skype ringtone is still triggering for Kirat, she tells me, which is perhaps one of the reasons we’re speaking over Google Meet today. Very quickly after the relationship turned romantic, Bobby began to display signs of coercive behaviour. He demanded to know Kirat’s whereabouts at all times, dictating who she saw and spoke to, and guilt-tripping her about his health if she dissented. “It was like Bobby owned my time now,” Kirat says in the film. Through a series of daily selfies she shared with Bobby, where she gradually becomes thinner and more worn down, viewers see how Kirat’s own health declined. She was eventually made redundant from her job in marketing.

Finally, after years of broken promises to meet in person, Kirat hired a private investigator who found that Bobby was living in Brighton, and she confronted him there. When she turned up at his door, the real Bobby, who also appears in the Netflix special, was mystified and scared. The next day, Simran drove to Kirat’s home and confessed: “It was me; I was Bobby, I was all of them.” On the podcast, Kirat said she “vomited” and “passed out” after the revelation, which came in June 2018. “I just kept screaming at her, ‘Why? Why Did you do it?’” Kirat says in the documentary. “She’s ruined my whole life. She’s stolen the best years of my life off me and all she could say was that I ruined my own life. No expression, nothing.”

In 2020, Kirat won a substantial settlement in her civil case against Simran for harassment, misuse of private information and data protection breaches. As part of the ruling, she received a private apology from Simran, which Kirat is not allowed to discuss. But she tells me she doesn’t “feel there’s ever been any remorse”. “Personally,” she says, “I feel like there’s a defiance or an element of arrogance about the situation.”

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Advertisement

Try for free

open image in gallery

Despite Kirat’s legal victory, Simran has still not been charged with a crime. Up until 2021, she was reportedly working a “high-powered job” in financial services, but quit when the podcast went live. The criminal case has since been reopened, says Kirat, but the system for dealing with catfishing cases is in dire need of reform. In the UK, catfishing is not a criminal offence. And when Kirat first reported Simran to the police, she was told she wasn’t a victim, but the real Bobby was. “It’s made as difficult as possible for you to want to pursue your case, and it’s you versus the police,” she says. “Everything has been a struggle every step of the way.”

This year, Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer has shone a light on online harassment and the stigma that victims of abuse often face. Kirat has watched the series, which is based on Gadd’s real-life stalking experience, and tells me the scene she found most triggering was when Gadd’s Donny reports his stalker but is quickly rebutted by the authorities. “That almost made me want to throw up,” Kirat recalls. “The hardest thing was being told to just quietly move on without people understanding the damage it had done and the trauma that it had caused.” Echoing Kirat, Gadd told The Independent in 2019 that police “look for black and white, good and evil, and that’s not how it works. You can really affect someone’s life within the parameters of legality, and that is sort of mad.”

After Baby Reindeer aired on Netflix, fans quickly began a frenzied search to discover the true identity of Gadd’s stalker – and they succeeded. Is Kirat concerned that people will try to track down Simran, too? “Yeah, I am concerned,” she says. “Anyone who wants to do that, I’d be like, ‘You’re as bad as her if you’re doing that.’ What we need to do is put pressure on the authorities to do the right thing. I could have banged her door down or sent thugs around, but no, that’s not the right way to do things. I think the right way to do things is highlighting the issue, which is what I’ve had to do.”

open image in gallery

Matters are made yet more complicated by the fact that Simran and Kirat are related. “People have to realise a witch hunt against her also impacts my family,” she says. “So to instigate witch hunts against these people that were named in the public like that is just poor form.”

Today, Kirat is pragmatic and “quietly determined”, she says, to reclaim the life she feels was stolen from her in the years she had hoped to meet a life partner and have children. First, she wants to see Simran face the legal justice that has long been overdue. “It’s been dragging for years now. I can’t move forward properly until that’s done,” she says. Her cousin wreaked such havoc, for such a long time, that Kirat still feels life is “nowhere near what it used to be or what I want it to be”. She sighs. “Hopefully I’ll get there.”

The Cyber Helpline has a dedicated page relating to catfishing or digital romance fraud. If you think you might be at risk, there are tips for recognising a scam and also suggestions for how to deal with it.

If you have been a victim of catfishing and need emotional support, then you can call the Samaritans. Their free phone line is available 24 hours a day. You can also call Victim Support or Victim Support Scotland.