Mrs Brown's Boys is set to be on TV until at least 2026, according to the sitcom's star Brendan O'Carroll.

The new deal will see the sitcom continue on BBC One in the pattern it has held since 2013, with two new specials aired at the end of each year.

Talking to The Irish Sun, the writer and actor said: "We've been doing it in for nine years already - which is six more than The Royle Family had and more than Morecambe & Wise. This new deal we signed last week goes all the way to 2026, which means I will be able to grow into the part, and we've a clause in which guarantees Mrs Brown is aired at 10pm on Christmas night, or else we don't have to make it."

Speaking about the stipulation that will ensure a 25th December broadcast for the new episodes, he explained: "I wanted that because if it's not good enough for Christmas Day, then we shouldn't be making it."

British Comedy Guide has approached the BBC for comment. A spokesperson said that the corporation wasn't in a position to announce anything at this time.

Last year's Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas special was watched by 4.63 million viewers as it aired, with more catching up via on demand services later.

Two new specials are due to be broadcast this festive season. An episode titled Mammy Of The People will air on Christmas Day at 10pm, with Mammy's Memories? following on New Year's Day at 10pm.

The episodes will see Agnes and her family trying to get used to "the new normal". The synopsis of the Christmas day episode says: "Luckily, things haven't changed that much. Mrs Brown has a new tree, Grandad has a new complaint and Buster and Dermot have new jobs, helping to raise awareness of the coronavirus."

The episodes were filmed in BBC Scotland's studios in October, with the cast taking daily covid tests.

O'Carroll has recently been accused of "lying" about the departure of Gary Hollywood from the sitcom's cast. Hollywood, who played Gary, is no longer in the show, with O'Carroll having told fans he was leaving due to personal reasons. "Some people claimed Gary left because of a row over money but it wasn't true. They didn't know the full story and it was amicable", he said.

However, a source told Mail Online: "Brendan is lying through his dentures to save face and save the show. To say Gary left the show to move to Lanzarote was so stupid and really insulting to Gary's and the Mrs Brown's fans. They all know Gary has been living in Lanzarote since 2014 and regularly takes to social media to share snaps. He even hosts a weekly radio show on their main radio station, Monster Radio. Brendan knows this but said it in the hope nobody will really notice, as he's trying to be complimentary about Gary, by saying it was amicable. It was far from amicable."