Members of the cooperation band were happy to be held hostage by a rather irate gunman over the New Year — although it was for a comedy television appearance on prime-time BBC 1.

Sit-com

The six players were part of the sit-com, 'Mrs Brown's Boys New Year's Special', in which the Irish grandmother Agnes Brown, played by comedian Brendan O'Carroll, decides to rent out her spare room.

Unfortunately, she mistakenly opens her door to an escaped prisoner, who takes Agnes hostage alongside an ever-increasing number of visiting family members, friends, and eventually the members the local Finglas Brass Band led by flugel player Stephanie Kennedy.

Without giving the plot or any of the jokes away, it all ended happily ever after, as the criminal was overcome and the band played out the credits with the cast to the live audience with a rendition of 'Auld Lang Syne'.

High profile boost

The appearance is the latest high-profile boost for the band who in non-thespian musical life are already hard at work raising funds for their appearance at the 2025 European Championships in Stavanger in May.

You can still catch their appearance on the programme through the BBC Iplayer, whilst you can also support their fund raising efforts at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/theco2025europeanchampionships