Even Mrs Brown's Boys star didn't expect to win NTA: "I voted for After Life!"

The Irish sitcom beat off competition from the likes of Fleabag and After Life to win the award in what was a hotly contested category, and O’Carroll paid tribute to the quality of his competitors in the field.

Speaking after winning the award, O ‘Carroll said, “I think this is the strongest year we’ve ever seen in the comedy section and I’m f***ing blown away.

“We just came to be here for the 25^th anniversary, we didn’t expect this.”

O’Carroll even went so far as to admit that he didn’t even vote for his own show, choosing to place his tick in the box next to Ricky Gervais’ Netflix hit After Life instead.

“Honestly, I voted for Ricky, I voted for After Life!” he said. “We didn’t even vote for ourselves!”

Some viewers were left disappointed by Mrs Brown’s Boys' triumph, with fans of more critically acclaimed shows such as Fleabag and Derry Girls questioning the result.

But Ricky Gervais extended his congratulations to O’Carroll and the rest of the Mrs Brown’s Boys team on Twitter.

He wrote, “Congratulations to Mrs Brown’s Boys. Democracy always wins. Be nice in defeat and know that you are still the best fans in the world. Thanks to everyone who voted.”