Mrs Brown’s Boys star Fiona O’Carroll has announced she has split from husband and co-star Martin Delany.

O'Carroll plays Maria Brown in the series, and is the daughter of lead star and creator Brendan O'Carroll.

Meanwhile, Delany plays Mrs Brown's youngest son Trevor.

The 41-year-old spoke about her split from Delany in RTE Guide's Christmas preview, as the BBC sitcom returns for some festive episodes this year.

She said: "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.

Warrington Guardian: Fiona O'Carroll will return for the Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Special this year (Alan Peebles/BBC Pictures)Fiona O'Carroll will return for the Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Special this year (Alan Peebles/BBC Pictures)

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

“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.”

O'Carroll and Delany married in 2006 and have four children together. They co-parent them despite Delany living in Portugal now.

“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," she added.