Eilish O’Carroll, the Irish actress, writer, and comedian best known for her role on the award-winning BBC sitcom “Mrs Brown’s Boys,” is opening up about one of the most vulnerable chapters of her life.
As per a report in RSVP Live, for the first time, she appeared on a radio show and shared details of her breast cancer diagnosis after spending the past year undergoing treatment away from the spotlight.
The 73-year-old actress, beloved for her role as Winnie McGoogan on “Mrs Brown’s Boys” and for competing on Ireland’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2019, was diagnosed last year and underwent a mastectomy shortly afterward.
‘I’m Very Positive’: Eilish O’Carroll Shares Update on Cancer Treatment
Reflecting on the past year, Eilish shared that her diagnosis and treatment began quietly behind the scenes.
“This time last year, I’d been diagnosed with breast cancer. I already had the mastectomy this time last year,” Eilish said, as reported by the Irish Star.
“So, I’ve been going through what most people go through when you have cancer – the treatment, the chemo, the radiotherapy, the medication.”
She added, “I’m still on medication obviously, and I’m still waiting on other various tests just to see where it’s at.”
Despite the challenges, her outlook remains hopeful and grounded. “I’m very positive, I’ve been so lucky, I have an amazing family, an amazing partner, and amazing friends. I wouldn’t have been able to cope without them, to be honest.”
‘I Went Into Complete Denial’
Eilish said the diagnosis left her shocked and emotionally unprepared for what followed.
“[Her partner] Marian was with me. And when we came out, she said, ‘What would you like to do?’ and I said, ‘I’d like to go and have breakfast’,” she recalled during an interview with Oliver Callan on RTÉ Radio One.
“I went into complete denial. I was obviously very fearful, but it took me a while to process the information and accept it.”
Now, Eilish says she is ready to share her story publicly to help others.
She added, “It’s a great opportunity now to talk about it. People need to know there are happy endings to stories of people with cancer.”
A Flu Visit That Changed Everything
Eilish discovered she had cancer after being admitted to the hospital over Christmas in 2024, initially thinking she was dealing with nothing more than the flu.
As per The Irish Star, she added, “I went in with the flu, and I had no idea I had breast cancer. They did a chest X-ray and discovered I had an enlarged lymph node and also a possible small tumour, so I had the biopsy.”
The news left her shaken. “I was dead lucky that I got the flu because I had no symptoms, absolutely none. I think that’s why I was in so much shock.”
She later learned how serious the situation was. “The surgeon said it was cancer, and it was quite aggressive – 28 lymph nodes were affected. That didn’t happen overnight.”
Continuing Work Through Treatment
Even as she moved through surgery and intensive treatment, Eilish kept working, finding focus and motivation on set and on stage. She completed filming for a new series of “Mrs Brown’s Boys” and continued touring while undergoing care.
“I had a mastectomy first. Four weeks after that, I started chemo, and then in May I went over to the UK for eight weeks to do the mini series,” she told during the chat.
“The BBC were marvellous with me, they couldn’t do enough for me. I had the green room to myself and could take a rest whenever I wanted.”
Her routine quickly became demanding. “I travelled over there every Sunday. I’d fly back on Friday and go straight in for chemo in Dublin, then two days of being completely wiped, then I was back on a plane.”
“I did it, and I couldn’t believe it. It was a great distraction and motivation.”
Finding Strength in Winnie & Looking Ahead
Throughout her treatment, Eilish found unexpected emotional support in the character she has portrayed for 25 years.
The Irish Star quoted her saying, “Winnie is a character I’ve been playing for 25 years now; she is a separate part of my identity. You’ll think I’m mad now, but Winnie and I have conversations, and she really got me through it. Winnie doesn’t take herself too seriously. There is always a rainbow after the rain.”
When hair loss made privacy impossible, she chose openness. “You can’t go around with a bald head and not tell anyone, can you?”
“The first week I went over for the mini series, I started losing my hair, so I got it cut short. It was hard, but people said, ‘It actually suits you, you have a lovely shaped head’. And I do, I do have a lovely shaped head! It only started to grow back just before Christmas.”
Looking ahead, her outlook remains hopeful. “The prospects are very good. They’ve thrown everything at it. I’ll have a PET scan in March and various other scans, so hopefully, but I’m very positive. If they have to do other stuff, they have to do it, but I’m really positive about it.”
By sharing her story now, O’Carroll hopes her journey offers reassurance, strength, and hope to others facing a cancer diagnosis.
