By Anna O'Donoghue
Brendan O’Carroll has opened up about how an appearance on The Late Late Show have his life.
The 64-year-old was appearing on the St. Patrick’s Day London special of the chat show in October 2018 when a medical specialist spotted he was breathlessly talking to Ryan Tubridy.
FAI Medical Director Dr Alan Byrne was watching in the team hotel and noticed O’Carroll was struggling with his answers.
Dr Alan Byrne
Speaking to The Irish Sun, the Mrs Brown’s Boys star said: “I remember feeling breathless for some reason. I’d sneaked out for a smoke before the interview and they’d said, ‘Come back quick, you’re on’.
"I felt breathless at the time but this was really bad and Dr Alan Byrne who was watching it on TV really noticed."
Shortly after, the comedian went into hospital to have his leg examined, this is went Dr Byrne decided to carry out tests on his heart instead.
Within days, Brendan was being operated on at Dublin’s Beacon Hospital where surgeons discovered that he was weeks away from heart failure, as one of his arteries was 99% blocked.
“I would have had a heart attack only they put a stent in immediately.”
Brendan O’Carroll has since launched Mrs. Brown’s Boys FAI Heart Care Programme to screen adults for heart issues and Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, under the guidance of Dr Byrne.
