| Jennifer Gibney | |
| Birth Name: | Jennifer Ann Gibney |
| Birth Date: | 7 July 1964 |
| Birth Place: | Dublin, Ireland |
| Years Active: | 1996–present |
| Known For: | Cathy Brown in Mrs. Brown's Boys |
| Occupation: | Actress |
Jennifer Ann O'Carroll (née Gibney; born 7 July 1964) is an Irish actress. She is best known for playing Cathy Brown in the BBC television sitcom, Mrs. Brown's Boys and its adaptions. She also appeared as contestant on the twelfth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.
Jennifer Ann Gibney was born on 7 July 1964 in Dublin, Ireland.[1] [2] She worked as a civil servant in the Irish tax office for seven years and then joined the Bank of Ireland. Gibney studied for a drama degree while at the bank and joined the company's amateur dramatics group. She trained to be an actress at Dublin Oscar Theatre School.[3]
Gibney's first professional acting role came in 1996, with a minor part in Some Mother's Son, a film starring Helen Mirren.[4] In 1999, she appeared in the film Agnes Browne as Winnie the Mackerel.[5] In 2007, she appeared in Prosperity as Linda.[6]
Gibney's most prominent role is her portrayal of Cathy Brown, the daughter of Agnes Brown, played by her real-life husband, Brendan O'Carroll, a part she began playing in the 1990's in the original Mrs Browne, and subsequently the BBC sitcom Mrs. Brown's Boys since 2011.[7] She also appeared as Cathy in the film adaption Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie and the talk show All Round to Mrs. Brown's between 2017 and 2020.[8] [9] Gibney and O'Carroll reprised their roles as the characters in the Netflix film A Madea Homecoming (2022).[10]
See main article: Strictly Come Dancing. In 2014, Gibney took part in the twelfth series of Strictly Come Dancing.[11] She was partnered with Irish professional Tristan MacManus.[12] Gibney and MacManus were the second couple to be eliminated in week three of the competition after dancing to ABBA's "Mamma Mia" on Movie Week.[13] [14] She competed in the bottom two against Blue star Simon Webbe and his partner Kristina Rihanoff.[15]
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||||||
| Craig Revel Horwood | Darcey Bussell | Len Goodman | Bruno Tonioli | Donny Osmond | Total | ||||
| 1 | Jive – "Happy" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | – | 18 | None | |
| 2 | Waltz – "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | – | 19 | Bottom two | |
| 3 | Foxtrot – "Mamma Mia" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 23 | Eliminated | |
Gibney has been married to Brendan O'Carroll since 2005 and has three stepchildren, Fiona and Danny, who also appear in Mrs. Brown's Boys, and Eric.[16] [17]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–2008 | Mrs. Brown's Boys The Original Series | Cathy Brown | Main role | [18] | |
| 2007 | Prosperity | Linda | Episode: "Stacey's Story" | [19] | |
| 2011–present | Mrs. Brown's Boys | Cathy Brown | Main role | [20] | |
| 2014 | Strictly Come Dancing | Herself | Series 12 | [21] | |
| 2017–2020 | All Round to Mrs. Brown's | Cathy Brown | Main role | [22] | |
| 2018 | For Facts Sake | Herself | [23] |
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Some Mother's Son | Woman Searcher No.2 | [24] |
| 1999 | Agnes Browne | Winnie | [25] |
| 2014 | Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie | Cathy Brown | [26] |
| 2022 | A Madea Homecoming | [27] |