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'Mrs Brown's Boys' star Fiona O'Carroll splits from co-star husband after 15 years of marriage

Mrs Brown's Boys star Fiona O'Carroll has split from her co-star husband. (PA)
Mrs Brown's Boys star Fiona O'Carroll has split from her co-star husband. (PA)

Mrs Brown’s Boys star Fiona O'Carroll has split from her co-star husband Martin Delany.

Fiona - who plays Agnes Brown's daughter-in-law Maria in the hit BBC comedy - is the daughter of the show's creator and star Brendan O’Carroll and confessed her own's parents divorce had made her "hang on for so long" in the 15 year marriage.

She told the RTÉ Guide magazine: “Myself and Martin met very young. I was 16, and I suppose he’s all I’ve ever known and we just kind of grew apart.

Read more: Brendan O'Carroll hints at new full series of 'Mrs Brown's Boys'

“We wanted different things. I still have a lot of love for him and I only want the best for him and I think he feels the same way about me.

Fiona O'Carroll, far right, as Mrs Brown's Boys' Maria Brown. (BBC)
Fiona O'Carroll, far right, as Mrs Brown's Boys' Maria Brown. (BBC)

“There were no major fights, and nobody else was involved but it was a case of not being on the same page any longer.”

The couple - who tied the knot in 2006 - have four sons together - Felix, Isaac, Eli and Dexter.

Fiona added: "I think I hung on for as long as I did because when my own parents broke up, that was very public, and there was a lot of hurt involved there.

“For me, as a child, coming from a broken marriage, I didn’t want that for my kids."

Delany stars as Father Trevor Brown in the sitcom.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 25:  (L-R) Fiona Gibney, Brendan O'Carroll, Jennifer O'Carroll, Rory Cowen, Amanda Woods and Danny O'Carroll of Mrs Brown's Boys pose in the winners room at the National Television Awards at The O2 Arena on January 25, 2017 in London, England.  (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Fiona O'Carroll stars with her father, brother and ex-husband in Mrs Brown's Boys. (Getty Images)

Brendan O’Carroll, 66, divorced his first wife Doreen in 1999 after 22 years of marriage.

He married Jennifer Gibney in 2005. She plays his on-screen daughter Cathy in the show.

Mrs Brown's Boys returns to BBC One with yet another Christmas special this year.

The show's recent live Halloween special saw viewing figures plummet, drawing its lowest ever ratings.

The episode was watched by just 2.6 million viewers - the lowest number to tune into a new instalment of the comedy since it launched in 2011.

Read more: Mrs. Brown's Boys' stars embroiled in £2million tax-dodging scandal

Mrs Brown's Boys aired for three series from 2011 until 2013. Since then it has continued to air a Christmas special every year.

The 'Mrs Brown's Boys' 10th anniversary episode saw a drop in ratings on previous years. (BBC)
'Mrs Brown's Boys' will be back with another Christmas special. (BBC)

The sitcom also spawned a spin-off chat show All Round to Mrs Brown’s, which aired from 2017 to 2020, and a feature film Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie, which was released in 2014.

The family were due to take the live show Mrs Bown’s Boys D’Musical to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the US in 2020, but the world tour was postponed, before the coronavirus pandemic struck, so that O'Carroll could take time off.

Watch: Some members of the Mrs Brown's Boys cast have fallen out over pay