Peter Kay cancels tour dates as message issued to fans
Peter Kay has been forced to cancel two upcoming shows after undergoing surgery
Comedian Peter Kay has cancelled a show following undergoing a surgical procedure. The entertainer shared the announcement via his social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.
The comedian has made history with his ongoing tour, now in its third year, though Peter has been forced to axe two upcoming performances.
The 52-year-old Bolton native returned to the limelight last year, launching his first live comedy performances in 12 years this past December as part of an arena tour extending to 2025 due to public demand. This marks his first live tour since 2010, when he achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest-selling run of all time, entertaining over 1.2 million audience members.
Kay cancelled his previous tour in December 2017, referencing "unforeseen family circumstances".
A statement issued on his social media said: "SJM concerts announcement: We regret to inform you that due to a routine kidney stone procedure, Peter will be unable to perform his scheduled shows at Nottingham Motorpoint Arena on Sunday October 5 and Monday October 6", reports the Mirror.
"Following medical advice, Peter will be taking a period of time to rest and recover," the statement continued.
Earlier this year, Peter hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons as he was filmed kicking a heckler out of his show. He halted his performance and had security remove a number of fans after claiming they were spoiling the show for the rest of the attendees.
However, after he labelled one ejected fan "Lisa Riley" and the remark caused a scandal, with the heckler claiming Peter was a "bully".
Back in June, it appeared Peter was prepared to move on from the drama as he set his sights on a different career path.
Peter revealed he has put pen to paper and promises to detail his life in his most personal book yet. In true Peter style, the book hilariously nods to Bridget Jones' Diary, as the comedian's face sits on top of the iconic character.
Making the announcement, he said: "Introducing... Peter Kay's Diary: The Monthly Memoir of a Boy from Bolton, Peter's most personal and hilarious book yet. Join Peter for a laugh-out-loud journey through his life, month by month."
A preview for the book stated: "Think of this autobiography as a twelve-month subscription to my memories and meanderings across the calendar year. With each month reflecting a different phase of my life, complete with dodgy decisions, bizarre plot twists and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments."
Back in February, Peter handled hecklers at his Better Late Than Never... Again! performance at Manchester's AO Arena - but things didn't quite go as he'd planned. While he said it wasn't an insult, and Lisa herself acknowledged there was no ill-meaning, the woman in question fumed that the star had humiliated her.
"Go on, off you go, Lisa Riley," Peter had jibed, drawing a comparison to the former Emmerdale actress.
Shortly after his remark on his decision to eject the fan in Manchester, Peter opened up on the incident on Good Morning Britain.
"I didn't realise it was an insult," he admitted. "She did look remarkably like Lisa Riley, I didn't realise that was an insult."
Despite his insistence that no offence was intended, the woman involved expressed her embarrassment.
Myar Curran accused the star of being a "bully". Speaking on the ITV show, Myar explained: "I didn't mean to cause any harm, I was just showing my love as he kicked someone out, but he obviously didn't like it."
She continued: "I feel like what I said was not abusive or aggressive - it wasn't anti-social and I wasn't drunk. I was just standing up chanting 'we love you Peter, we do'. It's just been a bit over the top, his reaction."
A month later, Peter threatened to eject even more audience members from his show at London's O2 Arena. Brushing off the previous backlash, he poked fun at the criticism he faced as he once again halted his show to make an example of one of his fans.
Addressing the audience, he asked: "Is it them in that box? Is that them? Who is it? Eh, it's you monkeys there. Now then, what are we going to do with you now? These people in this area now, do any of you look like Lisa Riley? No, alright," he joked as the crowd burst into laughter.
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, an audience member told: "Peter waded in as the crowd was audibly kicking off due to some disagreement in the crowd. He poked fun at the idea of kicking them out, then dished out the issue to his security.
"But he did reference it again twice in the show as they kept shouting, comparing it to a 'boot sale' at one point. It seemed like the audience in the area wanted him to kick the person out due to all the drama."
Peter initially rose to prominence after claiming victory in Channel 4's So You Think You're Funny? contest in 1997, and it was during this period he also made his television debut in a 1997 episode of New Voices, a comedy programme which highlighted emerging talent.
That same year he secured a segment titled "Peter Kay's World of Entertainment" on BBC Two's The Sunday Show.
His debut live stand-up special Live at the Top of the Tower in 2000 also catapulted him to mainstream stardom.
And as his achievements on stage and screen flourished, he landed his own programme on Channel 4 called The Peter Kay Thing which subsequently paved the way for the acclaimed sitcom Phoenix Nights, and he has never looked back.
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