Father Ted legends Ardal O’Hanlon and Pauline McLynn speak about teaming up again for the first time in 25 years

Father Ted legends Ardal O’Hanlon and Pauline McLynn have spoken about reuniting after 25 years to star together in a new Sky comedy.

The stars, who played Father Dougal Maguire and housekeeper Mrs Doyle in the classic 1990s Irish comedy, play a husband and wife in the series ‘Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything’.

Their characters are the parents of Rosie Molloy, played by Sheridan Smith, a troubled woman who is addicted to everything and decides to regain control of her life by giving up everything.

It is the first time they have acted together for a quarter of a century – with McLynn revealing that she laughed for five minutes when she heard who her co-star was going to be.

She said: “The producers were like, ‘are you not curious as to who is playing your husband?’

“So, I said well obviously I am. They said it’s Ardal O’Hanlon.

“According to the producer I just laughed for about five minutes and I said ‘that’s a good laugh’. I’ve no idea why it’s taken 25 years.

“I don’t know. I guess we were just off doing other things. Or else Ardal has a court order that I don’t know about.”

O’Hanlon was equally tickled to find out who he was going to be working with.

He said: “Ah it was brilliant. I got a call only about a week before we started first saying ‘you know who your wife is in this?

“I think we make a very convincing old couple, given our history together and knowing our shorthand together.”

The pair starred together for 25 episodes of Father Ted from 1995-98 and became household names. McLynn won a British comedy award for ‘Top TV Comedy Actress’ for her performance.

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