The racist ‘joke’ told by Mrs Brown’s Boys star and creator Brendan O’Carroll has been revealed following a BBC probe.

It’s been reported that the Irish comic ‘implied’ the N-word during rehearsals for the BBC comedy’s upcoming Christmas special. O’Carroll, in character during a script read-through, is said to have quipped: “I don’t call a spade a spade, I call a spade a…”

The Daily Mail claims the actor then started to utter the N-word before he was stopped by a co-star also in character.

In a statement shared with the publication on Tuesday night, a representative for O’Carroll said: “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 knew she would be.”

O’Carroll, who plays foul-mouthed matriarch Agnes Brown in the controversial series, apologised on Monday night for making a racist remark which sparked a BBC probe.

The BBC temporarily paused rehearsals to investigate the incident, which have since resumed in Glasgow at the broadcaster’s Pacific Quay studios in Scotland – with shows going ahead as planned, as first reported by the Mirror newspaper.

The actor released a statement explaining: “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,” as exclusively revealed by the Mirror.

O’Carroll finished with a statement of regret: “It backfired and caused offence which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised.”

Adding to the discourse, a BBC spokesperson stated: “Whilst 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.”