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The stars of Mrs Brown’s Boys were asked to serve up a real cracker and remake ’Allo ’Allo.

The BBC wanted the whole cast to take on the famous roles from the 1980s sitcom about French café owner René

Artois who is forced to work with the Gestapo and the Resistance during World

War Two.

Brendan O’Carroll would have swapped Agnes

Brown’s wig and apron for René’s famous black waistcoat and white shirt.

His real-life wife

Jennifer Gibney would have dumped Cathy

Brown’s cardigans for saucy waitress

Yvette Carte-Blanche’s frills.

The rest of the team would have played the likes of Edith

Artois, Herr Flick, Colonel

Kurt von Strohm and Private

Helga.

However, they said: “Non!” Brendan explained: “We were asked to remake ’Allo

’Allo using our cast. I’d have been René, It sounded intriguing and I was tempted.

“But down the line, I’d seen some comedy remakes during the last couple of years and I just thought: ‘No. They don’t compare’. It was what it was at the time.”

Brendan said another reason for turning down the remake was because original comedy repeats still get big ratings on

TV and he doesn’t see the need to re-imagine classics.

He added: “I remember one year when the TV ratings came in and during one week the most-viewed show on telly that night was a repeat of Mrs Brown’s Boys and the second most popular was Dad’s

Army.

“It shows they still stand up! I say why re-invent Champagne. You just end up with sparkling wine.”

¬ÊMrs Brown’s Boys Christmas special called Exotic Mammy airs tomorrow on BBC One at 10.15pm.