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Peter Kay was moved to tears as he received a huge standing ovation at Manchester’s AO Arena on Friday night as he made his return to stand-up comedy.
The funnyman, 49, embarked on a mammoth 110-date tour and played to a sell-out crowd in Manchester, 16 miles from his hometown of Bolton.
As he was met with rapturous applause, chants of his name were heard ringing out across the venue, prompting him to wipe away a tear as his devotees continued to cheer.
Emotional: Peter Kay was moved to tears as he received a huge standing ovation at Manchester’s AO Arena on Friday night as he made his return to stand-up comedy
‘Aw you’ll have me in bits,’ he said. ‘Lovely Manchester you made me cry. I can’t believe I cried, where did it come from all that emotion?’
Comedian Peter has been largely absent from the public eye for the last four years and the aptly named Peter Kay Live Tour is his first live tour since 2010, when he scored the Guinness World Record for the biggest selling run of all time, playing to more than 1.2 million people.
Peter’s comeback was announced during an advertisement break in the series launch of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! on ITV last month.
Moving: As he was met with rapturous applause, chants of his name were heard ringing out across the venue, prompting him to wipe away a tear
He’s back! Peter’s long-awaited return to touring comes after a 12-year break
Screen star: Peter was seen crying on the large screens by the side of the stage at the arena in Manchester
He said: ‘It’s good to get back to what I love doing best, stand-up comedy, and if there’s ever a time people need a laugh it’s now.
‘And with the cost of living at an all-time high, ticket prices are starting from £35 – the same price they were on my previous tour in 2010.’
After Manchester, Peter will perform in locations including Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Belfast, Newcastle, Glasgow and Dublin.
Overcome: He was seen leaning on a table while on stage as he steadied his emotions having received the positive reaction from his fans
Living for the applause: The audience at Peter’s arena show were heard cheering as he arrived on stage before they chanted his name repeatedly
Standing ovation: The crowd were seen on their feet as they stood to give comedian Peter an extended round of applause
Return of the comedy king! Peter confirmed his comeback tour in an advert aired during I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! last month (Peter is seen in the promo)
His run will end on August 11 2023 at the Sheffield Utilita Arena.
Following the announcement, the star’s official website appeared to crash briefly under increased online traffic.
A poster for the event featured Peter holding a sign reading, ‘Better late than never’ and described a ticket to his shows as an ‘ideal Christmas gift’.
After being largely out of the spotlight for the last four years, Peter returned to the stage in August 2021 for two special charity events to raise money for Laura Nuttall, a then 20-year-old with an aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme.
There was also a brief return in January 2021 when he appeared on BBC Radio 2 to chat to Cat Deeley – who was filling in after Graham Norton left the station – about his love of music, mixtapes and the musical Mamma Mia.
He also made a surprise appearance at a charity screening of his series Car Share in 2018.
Peter cancelled his last tour in December 2017, citing ‘unforeseen family circumstances’.
Time out: He stepped back from the public eye in 2017, when he cancelled a huge 14-month stand-up tour due to ‘unforeseen family circumstances’
The father-of-two was expected to earn up to £40million from hosting 109 nights from April 2018 until March 2019 at cities including Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, London and Dublin.
He said at the time: ‘Due to unforeseen family circumstances, I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects.
‘This unfortunately includes my upcoming stand-up tour, Dance for Life shows and any outstanding live work commitments.
‘My sincerest apologies. This decision has not been taken lightly and I’m sure you’ll understand my family must always come first.’
Peter appeared at a theatre in Salford in October and had ‘new material’ for the lucky fans who were invited to attend.
Paula, who is a fan of the comedian, took to Twitter to share her experience at the exciting ‘secret’ shows.
She penned: ‘Omg just been to a secret gig with Peter Kay at The Lowry. Best night of my life ever, that guy is a legend. Phones in locked pounces, secret ticket collection, the lot. Still buzzing.’
Difficult times: Fans have been waiting years for Peter’s return to the stage, after he stepped away from the spotlight in 2017 due to ‘unforeseen family circumstances’
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