Sorcha Cusack makes a surprise return as Mrs Bridgette McCarthy in Father Brown series 13, four years after leaving the BBC One drama in 2022
Olivia Wheeler Content Editor Screen Time
12:39, 09 Jan 2026
The beloved BBC drama Father Brown returns today, Friday 9 January, for its 13th season on BBC One.
The popular series first graced our screens in 2013 and boasted a notable cast, including Sorcha Cusack who portrayed Mrs Bridgette McCarthy, the church secretary at St Mary's alongside Father Brown, played by Mark Williams.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that fan favourite, Mrs McCarthy, brought to life by Sorcha, would be making an unexpected comeback to the show after a four-year hiatus.
Mrs McCarthy was a mainstay from the inaugural episode in 2013 but exited after the ninth series in 2022. As the Irish parish secretary at St Mary's, she offered advice and steadfast friendship to Father Brown.
The character, famed for keeping Father Brown well-nourished and winning accolades for her strawberry scones, was also a regular purveyor of local chatter, reports the Express.
Why did Mrs McCarthy star Sorcha Cusack leave Father Brown?
Before the tenth series, Irish actress Sorcha Cusack, along with Emer Kenny and Jack Deam, left the show. The trio's departure was confirmed when promotional material for the new series was released without their inclusion.
In the series leading up to her exit, Mrs McCarthy stepped down as Father Brown's parish secretary, moving from Kembleford to Ireland to be closer to her sister.
John Burton, who plays Sergeant Goodfellow in the programme, took to X, formerly Twitter, to address the cast alterations. He explained: "Occasionally long running shows need to be refreshed due to artists' availability.
"So it means we do have some absentees this year, with a few long-term artists moving onto other projects for their own career progression. This is part of an actor's life, and we must go where the work takes us.
"Yes, there are some changes - but they are brilliant changes, and I truly believe you will absolutely love the new/returning characters. For the moment, we have said goodbye to a few characters who have been brilliant to work with over the years."
She appears to have left to explore new ventures and has kept quiet about her exit from the series.
Sorcha Cusack's return to Father Brown and is she back for good?
Earlier this month, it emerged that beloved character Mrs McCarthy, portrayed by Sorcha, would be making an unexpected return to the programme after a four-year absence.
That said, it appears Sorcha's comeback as Mrs McCarthy will be limited to a single episode. The BBC has confirmed: "Sorcha Cusack will also be making a special return as Mrs McCarthy for the first episode."
The synopsis for the instalment, entitled The Good Refuge, states: "Mrs McCarthy makes a surprise return to Kembleford and joins Father Brown to investigate one more murder."
What has Mark Williams said about Sorcha Cusack's return?
Speaking about Sorcha's comeback on Wednesday's instalment of BBC Morning Live, Mark, 66, hinted: "Well Mrs McCarthy comes back on a mission and of course he's always been really fond of her.
"She's sort of a touchstone for him. He relies on her common sense, well he did rely on her common sense, and her kind of grounding. So he's very pleased to see her and her him I think!".
"But thereby hangs a tale, so it all gets rather complicated very, very quickly."
Father Brown returns this Friday 9 January at 2pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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