Mrs Brown’s Boys is following in the footsteps of soaps like EastEnders and Corrie with a live episode.

The special programme will be transmitted to mark the launch of the BBC’s Landmark Sitcom Season next summer.

Brendan O’Carroll, who stars as Mrs Brown, said: “This is very exciting. When I heard the BBC were letting us go fully live I thought, ‘They’ve lost their minds!’

Brendan O'Carroll
Brendan stars as Mrs Brown in the hit show (Ian West/PA)

“I’m seriously delighted about this. As Mrs Brown’s Boys started in the theatre it gives us a chance to show the TV audience LIVE what we really do. Put the kids to bed early!”

The hit sitcom is filmed in front of an audience and the cast have also taken the show on the road, so they are well practised in performing live, with no retakes.

A BBC insider joked: “Anything can happen when the Irish Matriarch is live and unleashed.”

Brendan O'Carroll and wife Jennifer Gibney
Brendan O’Carroll and wife Jennifer Gibney play mother and daughter in Mrs Brown’s Boys (Artur Widak/PA)

The cast are about to begin filming the first of two new Christmas specials of Mrs Brown’s Boys.

Nearly 10 million viewers tuned in to the Christmas Day episode of the popular comedy in 2014.