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Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll “implied” the N-word during rehearsals for the show’s Christmas special, according to reports.

Filming for the show’s Christmas special was halted as the BBC carried out a probe into the incident, but no details of the highly offensive slur were given at the time.

It has now emerged that the comic told a joke alluding to the N-word in front of shocked colleagues.

During a reading of the script while in character as Agnes Brown, the Daily Mail reported that O’Carroll said: “I don’t call a sp*** a sp***, I call a sp*** a…”

He then reportedly began to utter the N-word before he was stopped by his on-screen daughter, who was also in character.

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Witnesses of the incident were reportedly shocked by the slur and “flagged [it] with the BBC afterwards”.

A representative for O’Carroll told the paper: “We would also like to clarify that the “n” word was absolutely not spoken, it was implied. Agnes (Mrs Brown) began the word but was stopped from finishing it by her daughter Cathy, as she (Mrs Brown) knew she would be.”

In addition to the obvious offence of the implied ‘N’ word, the use of the term “sp***”, a derogatory slur used against black people, is also deeply insulting.

The revelation has raised questions about the BBC’s handling of the incident. In initial statements, the broadcaster did not acknowledge how severe the slur implied was.

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The BBC investigated the incident and temporarily stopped 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.

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Mrs Brown’s Boys, with its distinctive humour, has been a divisive presence on the Christmas schedules for many years, with O’Carroll playing matriarch Agnes Brown, and various members of his family making up the ensemble cast. A fifth full series of has been commissioned and is set to start filming next spring.

The Irish actor and writer, 69, apologised on Tuesday, before the nature of the slur used came to light.

“At a read-through of the Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas specials, there was a clumsy attempt at a joke, in the character of Agnes, where a racial term was implied,” he said. “It backfired and caused offence which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised.”

A BBC spokesperson said on Tuesday: “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.”

The Independent has contacted representatives for Mr O’Carroll for comment.

AMANDA Holden was the queen of green yesterday as she stole the show at the launch auditions for Britain’s Got Talent.

The 53-year-old TV judge wore an olive satin mini skirt and off-the-shoulder top as she walked the red carpet in front of fans at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

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She was joined by fellow judges on the ITV show Alesha Dixon, and Simon Cowell as well as hosts Ant and Dec.

YouTuber and boxer KSI made his debut on the panel — temporarily filling in for ex-Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli, who is filming in the US.

The new series of BGT kicks off early next year.

Last week, Amanda successfully completed her whopping 250 mile charity bike ride, and shouted “my bum is killing me” as she passed the finish line and had an emotional reunion with her husband Chris.

The star has been cycling from her mum’s house in Bude, Cornwall, to Heart HQ in London‘s Leicester Square to raise funds for Make Some Noise, which raises money for small charities across the UK.

And she looked both delighted and exhausted as she cycled up to her colleagues, fans and family members in Leicester Square this morning, as confetti flew through the air and cheers were heard from the crowds.

The challenge kicked off on Monday and has continued throughout the week as she travelled through Somerset, Berkshire, Wiltshire, and Surrey, with her destination set for today – just in time for Global’s Make Some Noise Day.

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Riley Keough has revealed how her mother, the singer and actor Lisa Marie Presley, inspired her performance in the hit mini-series, Daisy Jones and the Six.

Keough starred in the musical drama as the title character Daisy Jones, an aspiring musician who joins a rock band in Los Angeles during the Seventies.

Appearing at a book event in London to promote Lisa Marie’s posthumous memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown – which recounts her upbringing as the only child of Elvis and Priscilla Presley – Keough shared that her mum didn’t manage to watch the show before her death.

“Daisy Jones actually reminded me of my mum a lot – when I read [the script] for the first time, there were so many things [they] had in common,” Keough said.

“Her personality was similar to my mum’s, her life, her writing, not being taken seriously as a writer… So I really think she was a [big] inspiration for that character, and then she sadly never got to see it.”

Keough, 35, said she told her mum that she would enjoy the show while she was filming it, but she sadly died shortly before its release: “I said it was gonna remind her of herself. But she passed away two months before it came out.”

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She said it was “very hard” to deal with the aftermath of Lisa Marie’s death while also needing to promote the show, but had found comfort in being around her friends and co-stars: “Doing the press with the band and Daisy Jones was actually very fun and uplifting.”

Released on Amazon Prime Video, the series received positive reviews from critics, who singled out Keough along with her co-star, Sam Claflin, who played the band’s lead singer Billy Dunne.

It was also a hit among viewers and topped Amazon Prime Video’s most-watched list in the US within hours of its release. Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks, whose tumultuous relationship with bandmate Lindsey Buckingham was said to have inspired the original novel, also praised the series.

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“In the beginning, it wasn’t really my story, but Riley seamlessly, soon became my story,” she wrote in a social media post. “It brought back memories that made me feel like a ghost watching my own story… It was very emotional.”

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Keough ended up completing her mum’s memoir after her death by listening to recorded interviews and adding her own recollections of their family life.

In one chapter, she recalled her mum’s last conversation with her second husband, pop star Michael Jackson.

She said that Lisa Marie realised she needed to end her relationship with the King of Pop after a near-disaster where the family’s private plane almost went down “in the middle of nowhere” as they were travelling to visit Jackson, who was on tour in South Africa.

“[It] felt like a bad omen to my mum,” Keough wrote.

Years later, Jackson called Lisa Marie: “He didn’t sound sober.”

“You were right,” Jackson is said to have told Keough’s mother. “Everybody around me wants to kill me.”

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That was their last conversation, Keough wrote. “My mom was in London, writing a record, when Michael died. My mom later told Oprah that Michael often said he was afraid of ending up like her father.

“He was forever asking my mom about when Elvis died, how it happened, where, why. Michael said: ‘I feel like I’m going to end up the same way.’”

Meanwhile, Lisa Marie claimed that Jackson, whom she married in 1994 and divorced just over a year later, could be “very controlling and calculating”.

“He had wanted me to have his children so badly and I didn’t want to,” she wrote. “I knew that he ultimately wanted to be the only caretaker of the children. Michael wanted to control things. He didn’t want a mother influence, or any other influence, in fact.

“I figured that Michael would have me have the children and then dump me, get me out of the picture. I could read him like a clock. I understood everything about him because all we did was bare our souls to one another. I knew his nature.”

From Here to the Great Unknown is out now.

TENSIONS have come to a head between Hannah and some of the other brides, and tonight’s episode saw her storm out of the room in a rage after being accused of cheating.

The woman from Cheshire has been at the centre of a whole host of drama ever since joining the dating show.

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Besides getting into blazing rows with her husband Stephen, she has also gotten on the wrong side of a few female co-stars for ‘flirting’ with their husbands.

Polly and Holly decided to confront Hannah about the incidents during a girls’ night, but the conversation went horribly wrong.

Hannah got angry and defensive when they brought up her supposedly massaging Ryan’s feet, and claimed she was only picking some lint off his shoe.

She then got pulled up for telling Alex in private that he was her favourite man in the dating experiment.

Once again, Hannah protested that she only said it as a bit of “banter”, adding that he has taken her under his wing as she faced problems in her own marriage.

The angry bride continued: “This is pathetic. I touched someone’s shoe. Get a grip.”

Clearly unhappy with her response, Polly hit back: “Don’t start getting muggy. Do not start speaking to people like that.

“The last thing you want to do is get brave.”

Shocked, Hannah accused Polly of “threatening” her with the warning about watching her tone.

As things escalated Hannah stormed out of the room, shouting: “You’re speaking to me like s**t!”

Despite having accused Hannah of inappropriate behaviour before, audience members started to feel sorry for the woman after seeing her ganged up on.

Several took to social media to share their support for her, with one questioning: “Why does Hannah need to be accountable to these girls? She’s not married to you HolPol.”

Another added: “I do not like the way some of the girls are bullying Hannah. Yes there is some things she shouldn’t have done. But no one should be ganged up on like she is.”

Although Hannah has been quick to deny that she is a husband-snatcher, the teaser trailer for an upcoming episode has hinted that she may completely cross the line into cheating territory with Orson soon.

The pair have already started flirting during the couples’ retreat, and an insider source hinted that their romantic connection will only escalate.

A TV source told MailOnline: “Hannah and Orson’s betrayal is revealed during one of the commitment ceremonies after Sascha blurted out the truth behind their closeness.

“Their affair rocks the cast who have all been trying to navigate their marriages with advice from the relationship experts and the last thing you expect is for two couples to break their vows.

“It causes uproar and confusion, especially for Richelle, who hoped she could progress in her romance with Orson.

“As for Stephen, he sees Hannah cheating as an excuse to pursue another bride and he ups the ante with Sionainn despite the fact she’s married to Ryan.”

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Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars has shimmied its way onto screens, welcoming a new cast of celebrity contestants ready to put their skills to the test for a chance to win the coveted Mirrorball trophy.

The popular dance competition series – the American version of the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing – has welcomed back Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribiero as co-hosts.

Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Hough’s older brother, Derek Hough, have returned to judge the competition.

Among the star-studded lineup competing this season are former NBA player Dwight Howard, Bachelor franchise stars Joey Graziadei and Jenn Tran, Olympians Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik, and Family Matters and Die Hard actor Reggie VelJohnson.

Find out below which celebrity’s dance moves didn’t make the cut. This article will be updated weekly.

DWTS airs Tuesdays on ABC at 8pm, with episodes available to stream on Hulu the next day.

Week Two: Oscars Night, Double Elimination

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Anna Delvey

Controversial addition convicted fraudster Anna Delvey was one of two eliminations on the show’s first round of cuts.

For her final performance, she and her professional partner Ezra Sousa danced the Quickstep to “Suddenly I See” from the 2006 comedy Devil Wears Prada.

Following her elimination, Delvey was asked by host Hough what she would be taking away from her time on the show.

“Nothing,” the Russian-born con artist bluntly replied.

Tori Spelling

Beverly Hills, 90210 star Tori Spelling was also eliminated. She and her dance partner Pasha Pashov performed the Rumba to “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman for their final routine.

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Reacting to her elimination, Spelling told ExtraTV that she was “sad.”

“I feel like I just started my journey, and I was changing so much and really finding myself through this,” the actor said. “I have an amazing [dancing] partner and now friend in life. I’ll be sad. We all got close, really fast. And you hear that happens, but you’re all thrown into this very unique situation in a short amount of time. So I’ll miss my dance family, and I’ll miss dancing with my partner every day.”

Week Four: Hair Metal Night, Double Elimination

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Eric Roberts

After four weeks of receiving some of the lowest scores this season, actor Eric Roberts was given the boot in the second round of double eliminations. Partnered with Britt Stewart, the actor and older brother of Hollywood star Julia Roberts danced the Paso Doble to Warrant’s “Cherry Pie” for his final performance.

Speaking to TV Insider post-elimination, Roberts shared that he’s going to miss Stewart, the crew and the show. “There’s a crew of over 200 people here, and they make you feel like family,” he said. “You fall in love with the show, your partner, everyone here is so kind and so aware.”

Reginald VelJohnson

The oldest cast member this season, Reginald VelJohnson, was also eliminated alongside Roberts.

During his final dance, the Family Matters alum gave a stiff performance of the Cha Cha to “I Wanna Rock” by the Twisted Sisters with his partner Emma Slater.

Week Five: Dedication Night, Elimination

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Brooks Nader

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model was eliminated during the halfway point of the season with her partner, Gleb Savchenko.

During her final dance, she was with her three younger sisters to whom she dedicated her salsa to. “It’s been amazing and we had so much fun,” she told the show’s co-hosts, Ribeiro and Hough, following her elimination. Savchenko gushed over the model and his time with her as he said, “I want to thank you for an amazing season, it was so unexpected. I had a blast working with you. You are super talented and I love you.”

STRICTLY Come Dancing’s Paul Merson has lashed out at show bosses for giving him multiple ‘joke’ dances.

The former England player, 56, made a series of subtle digs about his routines when discussing his Strictly journey so far.

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Last week, Paul was finally given a ballroom dance with his pro partner Karen Hauer and they achieved their highest score yet.

But they had previously performed to football anthem Vindaloo, danced around a fake barbecue to Pitball’s Fireball and ridden giant plastic horses.

However, within minutes of making his feelings known, it was revealed Paul and Karen are dancing a Salsa to the disco track Car Wash this weekend – and fans are not happy.

Paul was asked about his time on Strictly during Wednesday’s episode of spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two.

Host Janette Manrara asked the Arsenal legend ‘what it meant to him’ to achieve his highest score yet with a ballroom quickstep.

Speaking via video link, Paul replied: “It was amazing just to get a nice dance.

“Obviously a barbecue and Vindaloo and Football’s Coming Home and looking like someone who works on a ship… yeah, it was nice to dance.

“I thought Karen deserved that as well, to be fair to her.”

In a second swipe, the dad-of-three continued: “I felt more comfortable. It was just nice.

“When I first took up the chance to come on the show, this was what I thought it would be roughly. Do you know what I mean?

“It was nice to get one of those dances in. Before, I just thought of Fred Astaire and I couldn’t see him dancing to Vindaloo.”

Janette asked him: “So you feel like you’ve got your proper whole Strictly experience under your belt now?”

But in a third swipe, he shot back: “Now it’s back to reality again this week.”

Even Karen appeared to echo Paul’s feelings, saying: “It’s what Strictly’s about. When you have your top hat, you have your beautiful glamorous dresses.

“This is what people tune in at times to see.”

It was then revealed Paul and Karen are dancing a Samba to the 1976 disco track Car Wash, by US soul and RnB band Rose Royce.

Having watched Paul’s interview, fans immediately shared their frustration at him being given another “joke” dance.

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Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, one raged: “It makes me annoyed to see Paul & Karen talking about how much he loved being Fred Astaire during the quickstep and that’s what he always expected #strictly to be, not the silly stuff.

“And then this week they have a samba to Car Wash, back to being the joke again.”

A second added: “The whole vibe of this interview has been ‘ooh yeah it’s great doing proper ballroom’, I’m so cross they’re now making Paul do the samba.”

Another agreed: “He’s quite right….They need to stop all theses stupid dances they give to ex sports people.

“It’s embarrassing and never works properly. Paul’s dance was far better with the correct music and outfit.”

And someone else begged: “#Strictly Please listen to Paul and Karen! The expectation when signing up was to learn to dance, with all the associated elegance, not silly songs and silly themes.”

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