Though unwilling to go into further detail, the 56-year-old actor said that he "hadn't been happy working for the Mrs Brown's Boys company for the last 18 months to two years," and that "26 years is enough." On June 16, Cowan gave the notice of his decision to leave.

The actor signed off at the end of a performance with Brendan O'Carroll's comedy troupe last Sunday at London's O2 Arena. "I left the way I wanted to go," Cowan said. No backstage party, no fanfare. Just a simple dinner with friends after the show.

"I did the final show, packed my stuff in a small Waitrose plastic bag and left the venue."

Cowan says that it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.

"I'd love to do something like a weekend radio show but we'll see what comes down the line," he said. "For now I'm going to take a little time off."