Category: Peter Kay

Jimmy Carr doubles down on Peter Kay swipe amid heckling debate saying: ‘If people get kicked out of my shows it’s for a reason…’

Comedian Jimmy Carr has doubled down on his stance on the recent Peter Kay heckling debate – saying that when people get kicked out his shows ‘they get kicked out for a reason.’

Just last week the comedian, 52, took a swipe at Peter who received backlash after kicking three hecklers out of his gig in Manchester in February.

And now Jimmy has mentioned his fellow funnyman again as he joined Capital Breakfast with Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby on Tuesday morning.

Jimmy was also quick to point out the difference between hecklers shouting out ‘random, drunken nonsense’ and adding value to the show.

Presenter Jordan said on the show: ‘You need to see this guy on tour, because him with hecklers is just the best! You know how to deal with hecklers.’

Jimmy replied: ‘I do like a heckle. People come to my tour show and there’s a lot of jokes in it. There’s a lot of like, ‘Okay, I’ve written a show, this is it,’ and then I like to leave enough space so people can just join in and shout nonsense.

Comedian Jimmy Carr has doubled down on his stance on the recent Peter Kay heckling debate – saying that when people get kicked out his shows, ‘they get kicked out for a reason’

Just last week the comedian, 52, took a swipe at Peter who received backlash after kicking three hecklers out of his gig in Manchester in February

‘And it’s kind of that thing of like, I suppose like watching a magician do magic. Because I’m so used to it, it’s like, ‘Bring it!’ I’m not going to get insulted and it’s kind of fun.’

Chris then asked: ‘But do you worry about a backlash if you kick out a heckler? Because I think that’s a big thing at the moment.’

Jimmy then responded: ‘I think Peter Kay is a national treasure, he’s a wonderful, wonderful man, and he’s incredibly likeable. But there’s 16,000 people in a room, and he had to get rid of some people who were getting in the way of the evening.

‘And his duty is to the 16,000 people who have booked a hotel, and they’ve bought a ticket and they’re there at the arena to watch the show, and there’s a huge difference. And we all know there’s a huge difference between shouting out something that’s disruptive and repetitive and annoying, and joining in and adding value.

‘And the people at my show are very lucky. The audience that come to see me know that when it’s heckling or joining in and asking questions.

‘It’s not random, drunken nonsense. There’s a huge difference. So, when I kick people out as well it’s… The difference between me and Peter Kay is I don’t care.’

Jordan then quipped: ‘You go for the jugular!’, as Jimmy added: ‘If they get kicked out, they get kicked out for a reason…’

Last week Jimmy took a brutal swipe at Peter for his treatment of hecklers – as he broke his silence on kicking disruptive audience members out of his own show just weeks ago.

And now Jimmy has mentioned his fellow funnyman again as he joined Capital Breakfast with Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby on Tuesday morning

Jimmy said: ‘I do like a heckle. People come to my tour show and there’s a lot of jokes in it. There’s a lot of like, ‘Okay, I’ve written a show, this is it,’ and then I like to leave enough space so people can just join in and shout nonsense’

The comedian appeared on Tuesday night’s The One Show with Alex Jones and Vernon Kay to promote his upcoming tour – which was subject to disruption recently.

It comes after Bolton comic Peter, 51, received a backlash after kicking three hecklers out of his gig in Manchester in February.

One of the rowdy audience members Phillip Peters, 54, went public by claiming he was ‘treated like a terrorist’ by security staff after shouting ‘garlic bread’ during Kay’s show – the funnyman’s catchphrase.

The second heckler, Myar Curran, 25, was ejected from the show after shouting ‘we love you Peter,’ with the comic comparing her to actress Lisa Riley as she was removed, a comment which she said left her ‘in tears’.

And just a few weeks ago Jimmy became the latest big-name comedian to throw out a rowdy guest at a gig after one ‘drunk’ gig goer annoyed four other audience members so much that they threatened to walk out.

Jimmy was praised after the gig for ‘handling the heckler like a pro’.

Despite Jimmy also recently kicking hecklers out of his show earlier this month he couldn’t help but take a jibe at Peter while on The One Show.

On the show Vernon said to him: ‘I’m loving the fact that your hecklers have gone viral on your social media, you put out the heckles, and you do put out the interaction with the audience.’

Jimmy responded: ‘I like it when people join in. I mean, you know, sometimes, you know, it gets, it gets out of hand and we have to kick people out of the show.

‘But I’m not like Peter Kay, I don’t care.’

Vernon then exclaimed: ‘Fair enough!,’ as his co-host Alex burst out laughing.

Earlier this March Jimmy was performing at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall as part of his latest stand-up tour where he was left unimpressed with a heckler

Jimmy then added: ‘I don’t care. We’ve got great security, I’m all mouth.’

Earlier this March Jimmy was performing at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall as part of his latest stand-up tour.

Jimmy was unimpressed with a punter for talking during the opening 30 minutes of his routine and becoming a ‘nuisance’ to those around him.

According to an eye-witness, four audience members sitting next to the troublemaker – who was accompanied by a female – threatened to walk out and one of them, a male, had to be held back by his partner after appearing to aim a punch at the heckler.

Incredibly, after being alerted to what was happening while on stage, Jimmy then told the four leaving fans to stay put, before taking on the heckler – sitting in the front row of the first tier – in his notoriously brutal style.

The eyewitness told MailOnline: ‘Four people got up to leave and one of them had to be held back from hitting the heckler.

‘Then Jimmy intervened, he told the four fans to sit down and said to the heckler, ‘You’re blind drunk, you’re probably on cocaine, so I’ll give you three choices.

”You can either get up and leave, go away and come back and see me again, or you can sit there, refuse to go and I’ll get security’.’

According to the eyewitness, the rowdy audience member refused to budge which then sparked Jimmy to hail security who arrived on the scene within seconds and escorted the heckler – and his female companion – out of the theatre.

The eyewitness added: ‘Everyone started cheering and Jimmy referred to the Peter Kay incident a few weeks ago.

‘There must be something in the water at these comedy gigs at the moment.’

Following the show, Jimmy was praised for his actions by fans who had flocked to his Facebook page to comment about the gig.

One user commented: ‘You handled that annoying idiot like a pro,’ another added: ‘Fabulous show and the guy that got escorted out, he deserved nothing less’

A third chimed in: ‘Great show, handled the crowd trouble with class.’

After Peter’s own heckler incident he addressed the incident on his Instagram account.

In a post on Instagram Stories, he explained that the first heckler had been disrupting his stand-up show by repeatedly shouting ‘garlic bread,’ and he made the decision to eject them after ‘forty audience members’ agreed it was distracting.

He then went onto address his jibe at the other audience member, saying he ‘didn’t see it as an insult.’

Kay wrote: ‘At the show on Saturday night, February 8th, in Manchester, I had two hecklers disrupting from the very start.

‘I did my best to address the situation and make light of it, as any comedian would, but unfortunately, their interruptions continued.

The second heckler at Peter’s show last month, Myar Curran (pictured), 25, was ejected from the show after shouting ‘we love you Peter’

The comic then compared her to actress Lisa Riley (pictured) as she was removed, a comment which she said left her ‘in tears’

‘I then tried to ignore them, hoping they’d settle down, but when the disruption persisted into the second half of the show, I asked the audience around them if they were being bothered by the noise.

‘They all shouted ‘yes’ and when I asked for a show of hands, at least forty people raised theirs.

‘At that point, I had no choice but to take action. The lady who was escorted out did bear a striking resemblance to Lisa Riley, though I don’t see how that’s an insult.

‘This was only the second and third time I’ve had to ask someone to leave during my 114 shows over the past three years of this tour.

‘As a comedian, you never want to eject anyone, but when repeated disruptions make it impossible to continue, it’s important to consider the experience of the rest of the audience.’

April 1, 2025
Jimmy Carr takes a brutal swipe at Peter Kay as he breaks his silence on kicking hecklers out of his own stand-up show just weeks ago

Jimmy Carr has taken a brutal swipe at Peter Kay for his treatment of hecklers – as he broke his silence on kicking disruptive audience members out of his own show just weeks ago.

The comedian, 52, appeared on Tuesday night’s The One Show with Alex Jones and Vernon Kay to promote his upcoming tour – which was subject to disruption recently.

It comes after Bolton comic Peter, 51, received a backlash after kicking three hecklers out of his gig in Manchester in February.

One of the rowdy audience members Phillip Peters, 54, went public by claiming he was ‘treated like a terrorist’ by security staff after shouting ‘garlic bread’ during Kay’s show – the funnyman’s catchphrase.

The second heckler, Myar Curran, 25, was ejected from the show after shouting ‘we love you Peter,’ with the comic comparing her to actress Lisa Riley as she was removed, a comment which she said left her ‘in tears’.

And just a few weeks ago Jimmy became the latest big-name comedian to throw out a rowdy guest at a gig after one ‘drunk’ gig goer annoyed four other audience members so much that they threatened to walk out.

Jimmy Carr has taken a brutal swipe at Peter Kay for his treatment of hecklers – as he broke his silence on kicking disruptive audience members out of his own show just weeks ago

Bolton comic Peter, 51, received a backlash after kicking three hecklers out of his gig in Manchester in February

Jimmy was praised after the gig for ‘handling the heckler like a pro’.

Despite Jimmy also recently kicking hecklers out of his show earlier this month he couldn’t help but take a jibe at Peter while on The One Show.

On the show Vernon said to him: ‘I’m loving the fact that your hecklers have gone viral on your social media, you put out the heckles, and you do put out the interaction with the audience.’

Jimmy responded: ‘I like it when people join in. I mean, you know, sometimes, you know, it gets, it gets out of hand and we have to kick people out of the show.

‘But I’m not like Peter Kay, I don’t care.’

Vernon then exclaimed: ‘Fair enough!,’ as his co-host Alex burst out laughing.

Jimmy then added: ‘I don’t care. We’ve got great security, I’m all mouth.’

Earlier this March Jimmy was performing at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall as part of his latest stand-up tour.

Jimmy was unimpressed with a punter for talking during the opening 30 minutes of his routine and becoming a ‘nuisance’ to those around him.

According to an eye-witness, four audience members sitting next to the troublemaker – who was accompanied by a female – threatened to walk out and one of them, a male, had to be held back by his partner after appearing to aim a punch at the heckler.

The comedian, 52, appeared on Tuesday night’s The One Show with Alex Jones and Vernon Kay to promote his upcoming tour – which was subject to disruption recently

Jimmy said on the show: ‘I like it when people join in. I mean, you know, sometimes, you know, it gets, it gets out of hand and we have to kick people out of the show. But I’m not like Peter Kay, I don’t care’

Earlier this March Jimmy was performing at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall as part of his latest stand-up tour where he was left unimpressed with a heckler

Incredibly, after being alerted to what was happening while on stage, Jimmy then told the four leaving fans to stay put, before taking on the heckler – sitting in the front row of the first tier – in his notoriously brutal style.

The eyewitness told MailOnline: ‘Four people got up to leave and one of them had to be held back from hitting the heckler.

‘Then Jimmy intervened, he told the four fans to sit down and said to the heckler, ‘You’re blind drunk, you’re probably on cocaine, so I’ll give you three choices.

”You can either get up and leave, go away and come back and see me again, or you can sit there, refuse to go and I’ll get security’.’

According to the eyewitness, the rowdy audience member refused to budge which then sparked Jimmy to hail security who arrived on the scene within seconds and escorted the heckler – and his female companion – out of the theatre.

The eyewitness added: ‘Everyone started cheering and Jimmy referred to the Peter Kay incident a few weeks ago.

‘There must be something in the water at these comedy gigs at the moment.’

Following the show, Jimmy was praised for his actions by fans who had flocked to his Facebook page to comment about the gig.

One user commented: ‘You handled that annoying idiot like a pro,’ another added: ‘Fabulous show and the guy that got escorted out, he deserved nothing less’

A third chimed in: ‘Great show, handled the crowd trouble with class.’

After Peter’s own heckler incident he addressed the incident on his Instagram account.

In a post on Instagram Stories, he explained that the first heckler had been disrupting his stand-up show by repeatedly shouting ‘garlic bread,’ and he made the decision to eject them after ‘forty audience members’ agreed it was distracting.

He then went onto address his jibe at the other audience member, saying he ‘didn’t see it as an insult.’

Kay wrote: ‘At the show on Saturday night, February 8th, in Manchester, I had two hecklers disrupting from the very start.

‘I did my best to address the situation and make light of it, as any comedian would, but unfortunately, their interruptions continued.

‘I then tried to ignore them, hoping they’d settle down, but when the disruption persisted into the second half of the show, I asked the audience around them if they were being bothered by the noise.

The second heckler at Peter’s how last month, Myar Curran (pictured), 25, was ejected from the show after shouting ‘we love you Peter’

The comic then compared her to actress Lisa Riley (pictured) as she was removed, a comment which she said left her ‘in tears’

‘They all shouted ‘yes’ and when I asked for a show of hands, at least forty people raised theirs.

‘At that point, I had no choice but to take action. The lady who was escorted out did bear a striking resemblance to Lisa Riley, though I don’t see how that’s an insult.

‘This was only the second and third time I’ve had to ask someone to leave during my 114 shows over the past three years of this tour.

‘As a comedian, you never want to eject anyone, but when repeated disruptions make it impossible to continue, it’s important to consider the experience of the rest of the audience.’

March 26, 2025
Peter Kay forced to halt London show AGAIN as he threatened to set security on rowdy fans – weeks after booting out ‘Lisa Riley’ heckler

Peter Kay threatened to set security on rowdy fans at his show at the London O2 show on Thursday night.

The comedian was forced to halt his show to call out the hecklers – weeks after his ‘Lisa Riley lookalike’ controversy but it sounds like it was a little more light-hearted this time.

According to The Mirror, Peter heard a commotion and said: ‘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.’

His reference to throwing out another heckler weeks ago and telling her she looked like the Emmerdale actress got a huge laugh from the audience.

Peter asked the audience to raise their hands ‘if those gentlemen are p****ing you off’ before telling his security team to deal with the chaos.

Peter Kay was forced to halt his London show AGAIN at London’s O2 on Thursday as he threatened to set security on rowdy fans – weeks after booting out ‘Lisa Riley’ heckler (stock image)

He announced: ‘You can carry on, but if you’re rambunctious, you’re going home early… you naughty boys.’

MailOnlne has contacted a spokesperson for Peter Kay for more information.

Lisa Riley herself has shown there are no hard feelings between her and Peter Kay after he recently kicked a woman out of his show and said she looked like the soap star.

The actress, 48, attended the comedian’s latest comedy show at the First Direct Arena in Leeds and posed for pictures with him after the gig.

Alongside the snaps, which she shared on X, Lisa wrote: THANK YOU so so so much Peter for the most fantastic night at @fdarena.

‘We laughed until it hurt-the show is absolutely hilarious-we were up until way gone midnight reciting all the jokes-northern at its absolute best. You are the best of the best. Love ya.’

The woman who was kicked out of Peter’s show and compared to Lisa said she felt the comedian had ‘humiliated’ her in her first TV interview.

Myar Curran, 25, who spoke about the incident on Good Morning Britain in February, said she will never watch the comedian again.

Lisa Riley has shown there are no hard feelings between her and Peter Kay after he recently kicked a woman out of his show and said she looked like the soap star

Myar Curran, 25, who spoke about the incident on Good Morning Britain in February, said she will never watch the comedian again

It comes after she branded Kay a ‘bully’ earlier last month for comparing her to the Emmerdale actress and accused him of singling her out because of her weight.

Myar shouted we love you, Peter’ during his gig at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday – only to be ejected by security.

As she was escorted out, the 51-year-old comedian shouted back at her from the stage: ‘Go on, off you go Lisa Riley.’

Speaking on the ITV show, Myar said: ‘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.’

‘I feel like what I said was not abusive or aggressive – it wasn’t anti-social and I wasn’t drunk,’ she added.

‘I was just standing up chanting “we love you Peter, we do”. It’s just been a bit over the top, his reaction.’

Myar said she doesn’t expect an apology from Kay but vowed not watch his work or go to another one of his shows again.

In an interview with Manchester Evening News this week, Myar said she was ‘disgusted’ and thought the ‘Lisa Riley’ quip was a jibe about her weight.

The actress, 48, attended the comedian’s latest comedy show at the First Direct Arena in Leeds and posed for pictures with him after the gig

Alongside the snaps, which she shared on X, Lisa wrote: THANK YOU so so so much Peter for the most fantastic night at @fdarena’

‘I do feel he was on about my weight,’ the mother-of-one said.

‘I know Lisa Riley has lost a lot of weight and looks great but she used to be a bit bigger. I didn’t used to be this big, I have put a bit of weight on, I’ve had a child.

Myar, a care worker, said she was left in tears by the crowd’s reaction at the 23,000-capacity venue and had a ‘cry about it’ when she got back to her hotel room.

‘It was just a very rubbish situation. My whole family was disgusted by it.’ she said.

‘It was like he was trying to get the crowd against me – it just wasn’t nice, to be honest.’

It came as Kay doubled down on his decision to eject the hecklers, saying they were ruining the show for the rest of the audience.

He said in a post on Instagram: ‘At the show on Saturday night, February 8th, in Manchester I had two hecklers disrupting from the very start’ he said in the statement posted on Instagram.

‘I did my best to address the situation and made light of it, as any comedian would, but unfortunately, their interruptions continued.

The woman who was kicked out of Peter’s show and compared to Lisa (pictured last year) said she felt the comedian had ‘humiliated’ her in her first TV interview

‘I then tried to ignore them, hoping they’d settle down, but when the disruption persisted into the second half of the show, I asked the audience around them if they were being bothered by the noise.

A long-term fan of the Bolton-born comedian, Myar had travelled from Scotland for the show with her dad, aunt, best friend and boyfriend.

She had been excited to see Kay live for the first time and was wearing a zebra-print top.

‘I lost my mum a couple of years ago and she was supposed to come to the show so it was something that was going to be very special to us,’ Myar said.

Two hecklers, Philip Peters, 54, and his son, 26, were abruptly evicted from the arena in the second half of the gig after Philip shouted ‘garlic bread’.

Myar – who was sitting in the same area but unconnected to Mr Peters – said she was then thrown out for shouting ‘we love you Peter’.

Lisa previously hit back at Kay in a cryptic Instagram post about the incident.

She posted a positivity quote about ‘seeing the good in life’ following Peter’s ‘nasty’ comments on stage.

The quote read: ‘We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.’

Lisa wrote: ‘See the good in life….before you ALWAYS jump to the negative….its such a simpler way to live for sure #grateful #gratitude #nomoaning #think’

March 21, 2025
Lisa Riley proves there’s no hard feelings with Peter Kay as she attends his comedy show after his ‘weight jibe’ at fan he compared to the actress

Lisa Riley has shown there are no hard feelings between her and Peter Kay after he recently kicked a woman out of his show and said she looked like the soap star.

The actress, 48, attended the comedian’s latest comedy show at the First Direct Arena in Leeds and posed for pictures with him after the gig.

Alongside the snaps, which she shared on X, Lisa wrote: THANK YOU so so so much Peter for the most fantastic night at @fdarena.

‘We laughed until it hurt-the show is absolutely hilarious-we were up until way gone midnight reciting all the jokes-northern at its absolute best. You are the best of the best. Love ya.’

The woman who was kicked out of Peter’s show and compared to Lisa said she felt the comedian had ‘humiliated’ her in her first TV interview.

Myar Curran, 25, who spoke about the incident on Good Morning Britain in February, said she will never watch the comedian again.

Lisa Riley has shown there are no hard feelings between her and Peter Kay after he recently kicked a woman out of his show and said she looked like the soap star

Myar Curran, 25, who spoke about the incident on Good Morning Britain in February, said she will never watch the comedian again

It comes after she branded Kay a ‘bully’ earlier this week for comparing her to the Emmerdale actress and accused him of singling her out because of her weight.

Myar shouted we love you, Peter’ during his gig at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday – only to be ejected by security.

As she was escorted out, the 51-year-old comedian shouted back at her from the stage: ‘Go on, off you go Lisa Riley.’

Speaking on the ITV show on Friday morning, Myar said: ‘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.’

‘I feel like what I said was not abusive or aggressive – it wasn’t anti-social and I wasn’t drunk,’ she added.

‘I was just standing up chanting “we love you Peter, we do”. It’s just been a bit over the top, his reaction.’

Myar said she doesn’t expect an apology from Kay but vowed not watch his work or go to another one of his shows again.

In an interview with Manchester Evening News this week, Myar said she was ‘disgusted’ and thought the ‘Lisa Riley’ quip was a jibe about her weight.

The actress, 48, attended the comedian’s latest comedy show at the First Direct Arena in Leeds and posed for pictures with him after the gig

Alongside the snaps, which she shared on X, Lisa wrote: THANK YOU so so so much Peter for the most fantastic night at @fdarena’

‘I do feel he was on about my weight,’ the mother-of-one said.

‘I know Lisa Riley has lost a lot of weight and looks great but she used to be a bit bigger.

‘I didn’t used to be this big, I have put a bit of weight on, I’ve had a child.

Myar, a care worker, said she was left in tears by the crowd’s reaction at the 23,000-capacity venue and had a ‘cry about it’ when she got back to her hotel room.

‘It was just a very rubbish situation. My whole family was disgusted by it.’ she said.

‘It was like he was trying to get the crowd against me – it just wasn’t nice, to be honest.’

It came as Kay doubled down on his decision to eject the hecklers, saying they were ruining the show for the rest of the audience.

He said in a post on Instagram: ‘At the show on Saturday night, February 8th, in Manchester I had two hecklers disrupting from the very start’ he said in the statement posted on Instagram.

‘I did my best to address the situation and made light of it, as any comedian would, but unfortunately, their interruptions continued.

The woman who was kicked out of Peter’s show and compared to Lisa (pictured) said she felt the comedian had ‘humiliated’ her in her first TV interview

‘I then tried to ignore them, hoping they’d settle down, but when the disruption persisted into the second half of the show, I asked the audience around them if they were being bothered by the noise.

A long-term fan of the Bolton-born comedian, Myar had travelled from Scotland for the show with her dad, aunt, best friend and boyfriend.

She had been excited to see Kay live for the first time and was wearing a zebra-print top.

‘I lost my mum a couple of years ago and she was supposed to come to the show so it was something that was going to be very special to us,’ Myar said.

Two hecklers, Philip Peters, 54, and his son, 26, were abruptly evicted from the arena in the second half of the gig after Philip shouted ‘garlic bread’.

Myar – who was sitting in the same area but unconnected to Mr Peters – said she was then thrown out for shouting ‘we love you Peter’.

On Monday, actress Lisa hit back at Kay in a cryptic Instagram post about the incident.

She posted a positivity quote about ‘seeing the good in life’ following Peter’s ‘nasty’ comments on stage.

The quote read: ‘We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.’

Lisa wrote: ‘See the good in life….before you ALWAYS jump to the negative….its such a simpler way to live for sure #grateful #gratitude #nomoaning #think’

March 9, 2025
Peter Kay breaks his social media silence as he insists hecklers had ‘repeatedly interrupted’ his show before he kicked them out – after one said Lisa Riley jibe left her ‘in tears’

Peter Kay has broken his social media silence after facing backlash for kicking three hecklers out of his Manchester gig on Saturday.

The comedian, 51, has shared a new statement insisting that the audience members in question had caused ‘repeated interruption’ before he kicked then out of the show.

Earlier in the day, Peter had said there becomes a point where it’s ‘no longer fair’ to the crowd who have paid to see him and also defended calling one woman Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley before evicting her from the AO arena, reports GMB.

In a statement given to the ITV show, he said: ‘I didn’t realise it was an insult. She did look remarkably like Lisa Riley, I didn’t realise that was an insult.’

Hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls revealed that Mr Kay had told them overnight ‘he felt he had no option but to remove the hecklers as they were spoiling the show’.

They reported that the rest of his statement read: ‘There comes a point when dealing with repeated hecklers simply isn’t enough. It’s not something you ever want to do but it becomes a point when it’s no longer fair to everyone around.’

Lisa has now shown her support for the under fire star as she told her fans she ‘loves Peter Kay to pieces’ and said his joke was a ‘laugh’ in new Instagram posts.

On Tuesday morning on an Instagram Story post, she pleaded: ‘Please draw a line under this now, I am not offended, never was offended. I love Peter Kay to pieces. Laughter is my favourite medicine.

Peter Kay has broken his silence after kicking three hecklers out of his Manchester gig on Saturday and claimed they were spoiling the show for the rest of the audience (pictured 2017)

The comedian, 51, said there becomes a point where it’s ‘no longer fair’ to the crowd who have paid to see him and also defended calling one woman Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley (pictured) before evicting her from the AO arena, reports GMB

One of the hecklers, Philip Peters, 54, and his son, 26, were abruptly evicted from the arena and he has since claimed he was treated ‘like a terrorist’ by security staff when his only crime was ‘shouting garlic bread’

The soap star also shared a picture of the quote ‘keep calm and laugh’ and wrote in the caption: ‘It’s a laugh, it’s funny!’, as she further defended the star.

One of the hecklers, Philip Peters, 54, and his son, 26, were abruptly evicted from the arena and he has since claimed he was treated ‘like a terrorist’ by security staff when his only crime was ‘shouting garlic bread’.

While some other attendees slammed Mr Peters, claiming he was ruining it for others, he hit back telling MailOnline: ‘I just can’t understand it, all I said was garlic bread’.

Initially his shout out allegedly earned him a warm reception from Mr Kay, whose cameramen zoomed in and panned the driver’s face out to the crowd.

But by the second half of the show, Mr Kay had seemingly lost his patience, quickly ordering the lights to be turned on and for the heckler, as well as his son, to be led out of the building.

Mr Peters, whose tickets were bought for him by his 17-year-old daughter for Christmas, said he was left ‘disgusted’ by how he was treated and is now demanding an apology from the comedian.

He told MailOnline: ‘It was me who shouted out ‘garlic bread’. I was there with my son and they dragged us out like ragged dolls and I am now covered in bruises. A lot of people just stood up and walked out when they saw how we were dragged out.

‘In the first half of the show, I shouted out ‘garlic bread’ and they zoomed in on the camera on me. And I put my thumbs up and thought everything was okay. I got no warning or anything, people around us were laughing and joking.

Mr Kay pictured at the O2 Arena in January ahead of his gig

The hosts revealed that Peter had told them overnight ‘ he felt he had no option but to remove the hecklers and said they were spoiling the show’

Lisa showed her support for the under fire star as she told her followers his joke was merely a ‘laugh’ in a new Instagram post on Monday evening

‘Then in the second half of the show I said it again, “garlic bread”, and that’s when the security guards came over to me and said ‘you are going to have to leave – Peter Kay doesn’t like people shouting out’.

‘I said are you joking as I thought they were going to warn me off but they stood me up, brought me to the stairs, which were dead steep.

‘I have massive bruises in my leg. I haven’t been able to walk properly at work today. My arms are all covered in bruises.’

He also claims that the comic shouted ‘you’re not laughing now’ as they were marched down the stairs.

Mr Peters claims six security officers handled him while another three took his son.

Once Mr Peters and his son had been taken out of the stadium police officers approached them to ask what had gone on.

But after speaking with the pair, as well as security staff, officers told the father and son to head home.

‘I said [to the officers] we have just been thrown out brutally and I said all I have done is shout garlic bread,’ Mr Peters added.

‘If we had done anything wrong the police would have arrested us, I just can’t understand it, all I said was garlic bread. That’s my favourite joke of his.

Philip Peters, 54, was removed by security after he shouted ‘garlic bread’

Mr Peters has been left with bruises allegedly caused by security guards

‘I have loved Peter Kay forever. I watched him on Car Share, I watch him on TikTok all the time and I’ve always wanted to see him live. I’ve loved watching him.’

Afterwards a woman who yelled ‘we love you Peter’ was also ordered to be removed by Mr Kay for disrupting the show.

As she was being removed, Mr Kay reportedly made a joke about the woman’s weight by comparing her to Fat Friend’s star Lisa, audience members claimed.

It led a group of audience members to leave the show before it finished as they were unhappy with the ‘nasty and bitter’ way hecklers were treated.

But Mr Kay fans have since backed the comic’s decision to throw hecklers out of his homecoming gig, claiming the drunk troublemakers had been ‘spoiling the show’.

An audience member, sitting just a few seats away from the mischief-makers, has claimed that both ‘absolutely deserved’ to be removed – so much so it was met with loud cheers from those sitting around him.

‘The guy he chucked out absolutely deserved it,’ Jo Llewellyn told MailOnline. ‘He was extremely drunk even before the show started and continued to make a nuisance of himself as the show went on.

‘For those of us who sat beside him he ruined the gig. And as for the lady, she was a few seats behind and the people she sat next to also commented that she had been a huge pain and was disrupting the show for others.

‘I am glad Peter took a stand and removed them as the show was being spoiled for a lot of people… And if people were so offended at the hecklers being chucked out, why did the crowd near them cheer loudly when they were removed?’

Some audience members had decided to leave the show after Mr Kay ordered security to turn on all the lights when his bit about kidney stones was interrupted for the third time by the man shouting.

Once the bright lights were on, Mr Kay is said to have pulled up a chair on stage and directed his security to remove the man as well as his friends, another source told MailOnline.

At this point the heckling man, along with his son, allegedly got very abusive towards the security guards’, according to witnesses.

The man was then taken out by four security guards – ‘one on each leg and one on each arm’.

Mr Kay was pictured looking slimmer while heading to his tour bus while leaving London’s O2 arena in January

‘It wasn’t a case of escorting him out, it was a case of physically removing him,’ one audience member said.

As the men were escorted out of the arena, the woman sitting behind them shouted ‘we love you Peter’ to which he asked, ‘had a drink have we?’

Mr Kay then instructed the security team to also remove the woman from the crowd before telling her ‘go on, off you go Lisa Riley’.

And while some accused Mr Kay of a ‘nasty and bitter’ approach to hecklers, those sitting closest to the noisy crowd applauded the decision.

Another audience member said: ‘I was seated near the people, and they were a pain in the backside.

‘They were asked several times to be quiet as the old people near them could not hear over their heckling ‘garlic bread’ not just once but many times.

‘We all clapped when he got rid of them and Peter in his own manner dealt with it very well. I thought he gave us what we wanted; it’s what we all waited over two years for.’

A third said: ‘My daughter was at that show and was glad that the people shouting were removed.

In a statement given to the ITV show, he said: ‘I didn’t realise it was an insult. She did look remarkably like Lisa Riley, I didn’t realise that was an insult’ (pictured 2017)

‘Peter Kay did ask if the people shouting were annoying the rest of the audience first upon which the audience said that the people were.

‘Shouting repeatedly garlic bread was not banter but disruptive in not a funny way. Bravo to Peter Kay, they spent a lot of money on those tickets and had waited two years.’

Others sitting further away from those disruptive members of the audience, however, were left less than impressed by Mr Kay’s ‘outburst’ – before claiming his ‘performance was poor’.

Another woman, who also asked to remain anonymous, said Mr Kay, who was using the show for a live recording, seemed in a ‘bad mood’ from the offset.

‘It seemed like he was in a bit of a bad mood from the off – I don’t know why,’ she told MailOnline. ‘The way he was telling his comedy was different to how it used to be, he would start on a joke and then go off on a tangent.

‘A lot of the humour was very crude and lewd – I didn’t expect to hear about his penis as much as we did, didn’t expect to hear about erections.

‘This is a family show, there are young teenagers there up to people in their 70s and it didn’t feel like a lot of people expected.

‘If you want crude humour there are other people you can go and see. If you are going to see Peter Kay you expect a wholesome, family show.’

It was Mr Kay’s decision to evict the hecklers, however, which was the final straw for the woman and her friend, who decided to leave the show after that.

‘The person who shouted garlic bread shouted it twice before but with engagement from Peter. After the interval, he returned and was making a joke about kidney stones,’ she added.

‘The guy then shouted garlic bread and Peter said ‘Nick, Nick, put the lights on’. Then the arena lit up and they instructed security to go get rid of him.

‘Now if this guy was getting on his nerves, he could have quite easily during the interval – which was quite literally just minutes before – said to his staff this guy is getting rowdy can you please deal with him. But he didn’t.

‘Instead, he did it in front of the whole arena. There was a bit of confusion from the guy, asking if they were being serious.’

Mr Kay then asked for the woman to be removed after calling her Lisa, Ms Riley is best known for portraying Mandy Dingle in the ITV soap Emmerdale and has been open about her own battle with weight, shedding 12 stone in recent years.

It came after Mr Kay was pictured ahead of the tour having lost a great deal of weight himself.

‘I just thought it was really cruel as he shouted ‘oh ay Lisa Reilly’ the woman added. ‘There was no need to call this woman that. She shouted ‘we love you Peter’ . It wasn’t offensive but she got thrown out.

‘It was just really mean to that woman. It was totally uncalled for calling that woman Lisa Reilly and getting her removed from the show. It just makes no sense to me.

‘And I used to love Peter Kay like everyone else but I just think if that’s who you are it is such a shame.

‘The way he treated that woman, I thought gosh what has happened to him? He is very different from how he was.’

Audience members had paid almost £200 for tickets to see Mr Kay’s long-awaited comeback tour – with many spending even more on transport and accommodation costs.

Taking to Twitter after the show, one enraged fan wrote: ‘ I’ve lost a lot of respect for @peterkay_co_uk’

Others described the ordeal as ‘harsh’ and ’embarrassing’

James Featherstone, from Harrogate, Yorkshire, had travelled to see the show with his wife and daughter.

And while he has been a fan of Mr Kay’s since the 90s he was left disappointed with the show and the comic’s treatment of the hecklers.

He told MailOnline: ‘When we first bought the tickets there was a lot of hype, expectations and excitement but on the actual night I could tell straight away from the beginning that he wasn’t himself.

‘I always imagined he would only deliver his own material and would never go near anyone else’s material and if something isn’t good enough, he wouldn’t present it but it didn’t feel like him at all. Some of the jokes were old jokes I heard years and years ago from other comedians.

‘And the thing about the hecklers, the guy shouting garlic bread, I imagine if you have a catch phrase someone shouts that at you every day of your life – it’s something that has made you millions and millions of pounds.

‘I can imagine only having shouted it three or four times was a lot lower than I would have expected. And the person who shouted it, I don’t think did anything wrong.

‘Peter Kay’s reaction was completely over the top to have them physically removed. At a push, ask them politely to leave. Having four people taking the guy out was overkill and not dignified either.

‘At one point, it wasn’t clear that Peter Kay wasn’t joking about him being removed. ‘It wasn’t a case of escorting him out, it was a case of physically removing him.’

Mr Featherstone also said it was ‘hypocritical’ for Mr Kay to call the woman Lisa Reily and said the jibe ‘wasn’t even funny’.

The long-standing fan of Mr Kay added that the comic had always been a ’10 out 10 performer but this felt more like a six out of 10′.

Another individual who attended the Manchester leg of his mammoth comeback tour on Saturday wrote online: ‘I’ve lost a lot of respect for Peter Kay after the way he treated the heckler at the end of his Manchester Feb 8 show.

‘Having him removed by force by his entourage and cracking jokes about it over the three or four minutes it took.

‘No manners. Huge waste of money.’

MailOnline have contacted Peter Kay’s representatives for comment.

February 11, 2025
Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley reveals how she really feels about THAT Peter Kay jibe – as the comedian breaks his silence on kicking out hecklers

Lisa Riley has revealed how she really feels about a cheeky jibe from Peter Kay at his show in Manchester over the weekend.

Peter, who is currently on his £27million Better Late Than Never Again! Tour, had to ask security to drag away a man repeatedly shouting, ‘garlic bread’ on Saturday night.

Then afterwards a woman who yelled ‘we love you Peter’ was ordered to be removed by Peter, who was accused of making a cruel joke about the woman’s weight comparing her to Lisa, witnesses claimed.

But Lisa addressed the incident on her Instagram on Tuesday morning saying she wasn’t offended by what happened.

She wrote on her Story: ‘Please draw a line under this now, I am not offended, never was offended. I love Peter Kay to pieces. Laughter is my favourite medicine.

The soap star also shared a picture of the quote ‘keep calm and laugh’ and wrote in the caption: ‘It’s a laugh, it’s funny!’.

Lisa Riley has revealed how she really feels about a cheeky jibe from Peter Kay at his show in Manchester over the weekend

She wrote on her Story: ‘Please draw a line under this now, I am not offended, never was offended. I love Peter Kay to pieces. Laughter is my favourite medicine’

It comes as Peter has broken his silence after kicking three hecklers out of the gig and claimed they were spoiling the show for the rest of the audience.

The comedian, 51, said there becomes a point where it’s ‘no longer fair’ to the crowd who have paid to see him and also defended calling one woman Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley before evicting her from the arena, reports GMB.

In a statement given to the ITV show, he said: ‘I didn’t realise it was an insult. She did look remarkably like Lisa Riley, I didn’t realise that was an insult.’

The hosts revealed that Peter had told them overnight ‘he felt he had no option but to remove the hecklers and said they were spoiling the show.’

They reported that the rest of his statement read: ‘There comes a point when dealing with repeated hecklers simply isn’t enough. It’s not something you ever want to do but it becomes a point when it’s no longer fair to everyone around.’

Fans have backed the comic’s decision to throw hecklers out of his homecoming gig on Saturday night, claiming the drunk troublemakers had been ‘spoiling the show’.

Another audience member, sitting just a few seats away from the mischief-makers, has claimed that both ‘absolutely deserved’ to be removed – so much so it was met with loud cheers from those sitting around him.

‘The guy he chucked out absolutely deserved it,’ Jo Llewellyn told MailOnline. ‘He was extremely drunk even before the show started and continued to make a nuisance of himself as the show went on.

A woman who yelled ‘we love you Peter’ was ordered to be removed by Peter, who was accused of making a cruel joke about the woman’s weight comparing her to Lisa Riley , witnesses claimed

The soap star also shared a picture of the quote ‘keep calm and laugh’ and wrote in the caption: ‘It’s a laugh, it’s funny!’

‘For those of us who sat beside him he ruined the gig. And as for the lady, she was a few seats behind and the people she sat next to also commented that she had been a huge pain and was disrupting the show for others.

‘I am glad Peter took a stand and removed them as the show was being spoiled for a lot of people… And if people were so offended at the hecklers being chucked out, why did the crowd near them cheer loudly when they were removed?’

Some audience members had decided to leave the show at Manchester AO arena on Saturday night after Mr Kay ordered security to turn on all the lights when his bit about kidney stones was interrupted for the third time by the man shouting.

Once the bright lights were on, Mr Kay is said to have pulled up a chair on stage and directed his security to remove the man as well as his friends, another source told MailOnline.

At this point the heckling man, along with his son, allegedly got very abusive towards the security guards’, according to witnesses.

The man was then taken out by four security guards – ‘one on each leg and one on each arm’.

‘It wasn’t a case of escorting him out, it was a case of physically removing him,’ one audience member said.

As the men were escorted out of the arena, the woman sitting behind them shouted ‘we love you Peter’ to which he asked, ‘had a drink have we?’

The 52-year-old funnyman then instructed the security team to also remove the woman from the crowd before telling her ‘go on, off you go Lisa Riley’, in reference to the Emmerdale actress and comedian.

And while some accused Mr Kay of a ‘nasty and bitter’ approach to hecklers, those sitting closest to the noisy crowd applauded the decision.

Another audience member said: ‘I was seated near the people, and they were a pain in the backside.

‘They were asked several times to be quiet as the old people near them could not hear over their heckling ‘garlic bread’ not just once but many times.

‘We all clapped when he got rid of them and Peter in his own manner dealt with it very well. I thought he gave us what we wanted; it’s what we all waited over two years for.’

A third said: ‘My daughter was at that show and was glad that the people shouting were removed.

‘Peter Kay did ask if the people shouting were annoying the rest of the audience first upon which the audience said that the people were.

‘Shouting repeatedly garlic bread was not banter but disruptive in not a funny way. Bravo to Peter Kay, they spent a lot of money on those tickets and had waited two years.’

Others sitting further away from those disruptive members of the audience, however, were left less than impressed by Mr Kay’s ‘outburst’ – before claiming his ‘performance was poor’.

Another woman, who also asked to remain anonymous, said Mr Kay, who was using the show for a live recording, seemed in a ‘bad mood’ from the offset.

‘It seemed like he was in a bit of a bad mood from the off – I don’t know why,’ she told MailOnline. ‘The way he was telling his comedy was different to how it used to be, he would start on a joke and then go off on a tangent.

‘A lot of the humour was very crude and lewd – I didn’t expect to hear about his penis as much as we did, didn’t expect to hear about erections. This is a family show, there are young teenagers there up to people in their 70s and it didn’t feel like a lot of people expected.

‘If you want crude humour there are other people you can go and see. If you are going to see Peter Kay you expect a wholesome, family show.’

It was Mr Kay’s decision to evict the hecklers, however, which was the final straw for the woman and her friend, who decided to leave the show after that.

‘The person who shouted garlic bread shouted it twice before but with engagement from Peter. After the interval, he returned and was making a joke about kidney stones,’ she added.

‘The guy then shouted garlic bread and Peter said ‘Nick, Nick, put the lights on’. Then the arena lit up and they instructed security to go get rid of him.

‘Now if this guy was getting on his nerves, he could have quite easily during the interval – which was quite literally just minutes before – said to his staff this guy is getting rowdy can you please deal with him. But he didn’t.

‘Instead, he did it in front of the whole arena. There was a bit of confusion from the guy, asking if they were being serious.’

Mr Kay then asked for the woman to be removed, calling her ‘Lisa Riley’ – Ms is best known for portraying Mandy Dingle in the ITV soap Emmerdale and has been open about her own battle with weight, shedding 12 stone in recent years.

It came after Peter Kay was pictured ahead of the tour having lost a great deal of weight himself.

‘I just thought it was really cruel as he shouted ‘oh ay Lisa Reilly’ the woman added. ‘There was no need to call this woman that. She shouted ‘we love you Peter’ . It wasn’t offensive but she got thrown out.

‘It was just really mean to that woman. It was totally uncalled for calling that woman Lisa Reilly and getting her removed from the show. It just makes no sense to me.

‘And I used to love Peter Kay like everyone else but I just think if that’s who you are it is such a shame.

‘The way he treated that woman, I thought gosh what has happened to him? He is very different from how he was.’

Audience members had paid almost £200 for tickets to see Mr Kay’s long-awaited comeback tour – with many spending even more on transport and accommodation costs.

James Featherstone, from Harrogate, Yorkshire, had travelled to see the show with his wife and daughter.

And while he has been a fan of Mr Kay’s since the 90s he was left disappointed with the show and the comic’s treatment of the hecklers.

He told MailOnline: ‘When we first bought the tickets there was a lot of hype, expectations and excitement but on the actual night I could tell straight away from the beginning that he wasn’t himself.

‘I always imagined he would only deliver his own material and would never go near anyone else’s material and if something isn’t good enough, he wouldn’t present it but it didn’t feel like him at all. Some of the jokes were old jokes I heard years and years ago from other comedians.

‘And the thing about the hecklers, the guy shouting garlic bread, I imagine if you have a catch phrase someone shouts that at you every day of your life – it’s something that has made you millions and millions of pounds.

‘I can imagine only having shouted it three or four times was a lot lower than I would have expected. And the person who shouted it, I don’t think did anything wrong.

‘Peter Kay’s reaction was completely over the top to have them physically removed. At a push, ask them politely to leave. Having four people taking the guy out was overkill and not dignified either.

‘At one point, it wasn’t clear that Peter Kay wasn’t joking about him being removed. ‘It wasn’t a case of escorting him out, it was a case of physically removing him.’

Mr Featherstone also said it was ‘hypocritical’ for Mr Kay to call the woman Lisa Reily and said the jibe ‘wasn’t even funny’.

The long-standing fan of Mr Kay added that the comic had always been a ’10 out 10 performer but this felt more like a six out of 10′.

Another individual who attended the Manchester leg of his mammoth comeback tour on Saturday wrote online: ‘I’ve lost a lot of respect for Peter Kay after the way he treated the heckler at the end of his Manchester Feb 8 show.

‘Having him removed by force by his entourage and cracking jokes about it over the three or four minutes it took.

‘No manners. Huge waste of money.’

MailOnline have contacted Peter Kay’s representatives for comment.

The mammoth tour comes as Mr Kay topped the 2024 rich list thanks to his residency tour, which is estimated to have generated an impressive revenue of £27million.

The Better Late Than Never tour came up trumps, beating Michael McIntyre’s £10.3million revenue.

Tickets to the comic’s gig cost an average of £59.70 in comparison to Michael’s £43.35 tickets.

Mr Kay announced 21 new dates in November 2024, kicking off in February 2025 and will finish his show in February 2026.

Pete Kay Live originally kicked off in December 2022 and the new dates will see him visit 16 cities over the course of a year.

The new tour which will run in 2025 and 2026 will include his first dates at Aberdeen P&J Live, Brighton Centre, Bournemouth International Centre and Isle of Man Villa Marina.

Mr Kay has already broken records during the tour after selling out 45 dates at London’s O2 Arena, the only artist to do so in the world.

The funnyman also performed a record 100 shows at the Manchester AO Arena – breaking all attendance and performance records.

February 11, 2025
Peter Kay breaks his silence on his decision to kick out hecklers who were ‘spoiling the show’ and reveals why he likened one of them to Emmerdale star Lisa Riley

Peter Kay has broken his silence after kicking three hecklers out of his Manchester gig and claimed they were spoliling the show for the rest of the audience.

The comedian, 51, said there becomes a point where it’s ‘no longer fair’ to the crowd who have paid to see him and also defended calling one woman Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley before evicting her from the arena, reports GMB.

In a statement given to the ITV show, he said: ‘I didn’t realise it was an insult. She did look remarkably like Lisa Riley, I didn’t realise that was an insult.’

The hosts revealed that Peter had told them ‘he felt he had no option but to remove the hecklers and said they were spoiling the show.’

They reported that the rest of his statement read: ‘There comes a point when dealing with repeared hecklers simply isn’t enough. It’s not something you ever want to do but it becomes a point when it’s no longer fair to everyone around.’

Peter Kay has broken his silence after facing backlash over his ‘offensive show’ saying he had ‘no choice’ but to kick two audience members out of his London gig (pictured 2017)

On Monday, fans backed the comic’s decision to throw hecklers out of his Manchester homecoming gig on Saturday night, claiming the drunk troublemakers had been ‘spoiling the show’.

Mr Kay, who is currently on his £27million Better Late Than Never Again! Tour, was labelled ‘nasty and bitter’ after he asked security to drag away a man repeatedly shouting, ‘garlic bread’.

Afterwards a woman who yelled ‘we love you Peter’ was ordered to be removed by Mr Kay, who was accused of making a cruel joke about the woman’s weight comparing her to Lisa Riley, witnesses claimed.

But now another audience member, sitting just a few seats away from the mischief-makers, has claimed that both ‘absolutely deserved’ to be removed – so much so it was met with loud cheers from those sitting around him.

‘The guy he chucked out absolutely deserved it,’ Jo Llewellyn told MailOnline. ‘He was extremely drunk even before the show started and continued to make a nuisance of himself as the show went on.

‘For those of us who sat beside him he ruined the gig. And as for the lady, she was a few seats behind and the people she sat next to also commented that she had been a huge pain and was disrupting the show for others.

‘I am glad Peter took a stand and removed them as the show was being spoiled for a lot of people… And if people were so offended at the hecklers being chucked out, why did the crowd near them cheer loudly when they were removed?’

Some audience members had decided to leave the show at Manchester AO arena on Saturday night after Mr Kay ordered security to turn on all the lights when his bit about kidney stones was interrupted for the third time by the man shouting.

Peter Kay was pictured looking slimmer while heading to his tour bus while leaving London’s O2 arena in January. His performance in Manchester on Saturday night has sparked a row with some leaving early

Peter Kay fans were left outraged after the ‘nasty and bitter’ moment he threw out hecklers with a Lisa Riley jibe as they slammed the comedian’s ‘offensive’ impression of a blind person at his Manchester show on Saturday evening (pictured 2017)

Once the bright lights were on, Mr Kay is said to have pulled up a chair on stage and directed his security to remove the man as well as his friends, another source told MailOnline.

At this point the heckling man, along with his son, allegedly got very abusive towards the security guards’, according to witnesses.

The man was then taken out by four security guards – ‘one on each leg and one on each arm’.

‘It wasn’t a case of escorting him out, it was a case of physically removing him,’ one audience member said.

As the men were escorted out of the arena, the woman sitting behind them shouted ‘we love you Peter’ to which he asked, ‘had a drink have we?’

The 52-year-old funnyman then instructed the security team to also remove the woman from the crowd before telling her ‘go on, off you go Lisa Riley’, in reference to the Emmerdale actress and comedian.

And while some accused Mr Kay of a ‘nasty and bitter’ approach to hecklers, those sitting closest to the noisy crowd applauded the decision.

Another audience member said: ‘I was seated near the people, and they were a pain in the backside.

‘They were asked several times to be quiet as the old people near them could not hear over their heckling ‘garlic bread’ not just once but many times.

‘We all clapped when he got rid of them and Peter in his own manner dealt with it very well. I thought he gave us what we wanted; it’s what we all waited over two years for.’

A third said: ‘My daughter was at that show and was glad that the people shouting were removed.

‘Peter Kay did ask if the people shouting were annoying the rest of the audience first upon which the audience said that the people were.

‘Shouting repeatedly garlic bread was not banter but disruptive in not a funny way. Bravo to Peter Kay, they spent a lot of money on those tickets and had waited two years.’

Others sitting further away from those disruptive members of the audience, however, were left less than impressed by Mr Kay’s ‘outburst’ – before claiming his ‘performance was poor’.

Another woman, who also asked to remain anonymous, said Mr Kay, who was using the show for a live recording, seemed in a ‘bad mood’ from the offset.

‘It seemed like he was in a bit of a bad mood from the off – I don’t know why,’ she told MailOnline. ‘The way he was telling his comedy was different to how it used to be, he would start on a joke and then go off on a tangent.

‘A lot of the humour was very crude and lewd – I didn’t expect to hear about his penis as much as we did, didn’t expect to hear about erections. This is a family show, there are young teenagers there up to people in their 70s and it didn’t feel like a lot of people expected.

While one man was removed for repeatedly shouting out ‘garlic bread’, a woman was also then asked to leave after she shouted out ‘We love you Peter Kay’ as the comedian shouted back: ‘Go on, off you go Lisa Riley’ (Lisa pictured in August 2024)

The funnyman also made a range of offensive and uncomfortable jokes, including a blind person impression and saying he hadn’t had an erection for years after ‘sertroline 40mg’

‘If you want crude humour there are other people you can go and see. If you are going to see Peter Kay you expect a wholesome, family show.’

It was Mr Kay’s decision to evict the hecklers, however, which was the final straw for the woman and her friend, who decided to leave the show after that.

‘The person who shouted garlic bread shouted it twice before but with engagement from Peter. After the interval, he returned and was making a joke about kidney stones,’ she added.

‘The guy then shouted garlic bread and Peter said ‘Nick, Nick, put the lights on’. Then the arena lit up and they instructed security to go get rid of him.

‘Now if this guy was getting on his nerves, he could have quite easily during the interval – which was quite literally just minutes before – said to his staff this guy is getting rowdy can you please deal with him. But he didn’t.

‘Instead, he did it in front of the whole arena. There was a bit of confusion from the guy, asking if they were being serious.’

Mr Kay then asked for the woman to be removed, calling her ‘Lisa Riley’ – Ms is best known for portraying Mandy Dingle in the ITV soap Emmerdale and has been open about her own battle with weight, shedding 12 stone in recent years.

It came after Peter Kay was pictured ahead of the tour having lost a great deal of weight himself.

‘I just thought it was really cruel as he shouted ‘oh ay Lisa Reilly’ the woman added. ‘There was no need to call this woman that. She shouted ‘we love you Peter’ . It wasn’t offensive but she got thrown out.

‘It was just really mean to that woman. It was totally uncalled for calling that woman Lisa Reilly and getting her removed from the show. It just makes no sense to me.

‘And I used to love Peter Kay like everyone else but I just think if that’s who you are it is such a shame.

‘The way he treated that woman, I thought gosh what has happened to him? He is very different from how he was.’

Audience members had paid almost £200 for tickets to see Mr Kay’s long-awaited comeback tour – with many spending even more on transport and accommodation costs.

Taking to Twitter after the show, one enraged fan wrote: ‘ I’ve lost a lot of respect for @peterkay_co_uk’

Others described the ordeal as ‘harsh’ and ’embarrassing’

James Featherstone, from Harrogate, Yorkshire, had travelled to see the show with his wife and daughter.

And while he has been a fan of Mr Kay’s since the 90s he was left disappointed with the show and the comic’s treatment of the hecklers.

He told MailOnline: ‘When we first bought the tickets there was a lot of hype, expectations and excitement but on the actual night I could tell straight away from the beginning that he wasn’t himself.

‘I always imagined he would only deliver his own material and would never go near anyone else’s material and if something isn’t good enough, he wouldn’t present it but it didn’t feel like him at all. Some of the jokes were old jokes I heard years and years ago from other comedians.

‘And the thing about the hecklers, the guy shouting garlic bread, I imagine if you have a catch phrase someone shouts that at you every day of your life – it’s something that has made you millions and millions of pounds.

‘I can imagine only having shouted it three or four times was a lot lower than I would have expected. And the person who shouted it, I don’t think did anything wrong.

‘Peter Kay’s reaction was completely over the top to have them physically removed. At a push, ask them politely to leave. Having four people taking the guy out was overkill and not dignified either.

‘At one point, it wasn’t clear that Peter Kay wasn’t joking about him being removed. ‘It wasn’t a case of escorting him out, it was a case of physically removing him.’

Mr Featherstone also said it was ‘hypocritical’ for Mr Kay to call the woman Lisa Reily and said the jibe ‘wasn’t even funny’.

The long-standing fan of Mr Kay added that the comic had always been a ’10 out 10 performer but this felt more like a six out of 10′.

Another individual who attended the Manchester leg of his mammoth comeback tour on Saturday wrote online: ‘I’ve lost a lot of respect for Peter Kay after the way he treated the heckler at the end of his Manchester Feb 8 show.

‘Having him removed by force by his entourage and cracking jokes about it over the three or four minutes it took.

‘No manners. Huge waste of money.’

MailOnline have contacted Peter Kay’s representatives for comment.

The mammoth tour comes as Mr Kay topped the 2024 rich list thanks to his residency tour, which is estimated to have generated an impressive revenue of £27million.

The Better Late Than Never tour came up trumps, beating Michael McIntyre’s £10.3million revenue.

Tickets to the comic’s gig cost an average of £59.70 in comparison to Michael’s £43.35 tickets.

Mr Kay announced 21 new dates in November 2024, kicking off in February 2025 and will finish his show in February 2026.

Pete Kay Live originally kicked off in December 2022 and the new dates will see him visit 16 cities over the course of a year.

The new tour which will run in 2025 and 2026 will include his first dates at Aberdeen P&J Live, Brighton Centre, Bournemouth International Centre and Isle of Man Villa Marina.

Mr Kay has already broken records during the tour after selling out 45 dates at London’s O2 Arena, the only artist to do so in the world.

The funnyman also performed a record 100 shows at the Manchester AO Arena – breaking all attendance and performance records.

February 11, 2025
The reclusive life of Peter Kay: Why, despite his many millions, the now super-slim comic would rather be at home with his family and Mork & Mindy videos than living like the megastar he is

On the first night of this mammoth comeback tour – which began in December 2022 and will run until February 2026 – Peter Kay broke down in tears.

Visibly moved by a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd in Manchester he said: ‘Oh Jesus, look at me, I mean what’s that all about?

‘How am I supposed to do bloody comedy now? Lovely Manchester, you made me cry. Where did it come from, all that emotion?’

Where indeed? After 11 years out of the spotlight for ‘unforeseen family’ reasons which he chose to keep private – and against all odds managed to do just that – it looked that night as if Kay might have doubted the true extent of his popularity.

Yet as much as he is loved, the critics have been divided. He’s not the man he used to be, some say. The jokes are almost all old, his voice is weaker, and he is, for the first time, including more risqué material, away from the gentle whimsy and warm nostalgia of his working-class Bolton childhood, which made him one of the UK’s greatest ever comedians.

‘Plenty of people left early, not waiting for the encore… wish we’d joined them,’ said one disappointed audience member this month.

A noticeably slimmer comedian Peter Kay in a rare sighting in London this week. The star has lost an enormous amount of weight during the two years his tour has been on

Physically, he is changed, too. On a rare sighting in London this week, it was clear that Kay, 51, had lost an enormous amount of weight during the two years that the tour has been running. He was trimmer when it started, but is near-unrecognisable now. Nothing was explained, or even mentioned, of course.

Tickets for Peter Kay: Live have sold in unprecedented volume. By the time the tour concludes, it will have broken (his own) record for the biggest-selling stand-up show of all time.

Not that he needs the cash; financial records quietly filed on December 28 show that he has £25.8 million in equity in one company and £11.5 million in another.

He is, according to a number of Rich Lists, the most successful funnyman in Britain – way ahead of even Ricky Gervais or Michael McIntyre.

Yet curiously, there’s nobody who lives more modestly than this intensely private man.

Locals in Bolton, where he still lives, use the word ‘reclusive’ to describe him.

One neighbour said this week: ‘It’s sad but we never see him. You see his wife going out and about in her car and sometimes her sons. But you never see Peter – he just stays in the house. I think I have seen him once in four or five years.’

Another said: ‘He’s a bit of a recluse these days. He just seems to stay inside his house. There’s cameras everywhere and the security gate is always closed.’

Worth around £900,000, Kay’s home in Bolton is a simple property, screened from the road by trees and a high fence. He and his wife don’t drive new cars and there is no apparent ostentation.

Neighbours say that they’ve lived there for around 15 years and in the early days did a lot on the house.

Kay with his wife Susan. He met the former Boots worker as a teenager before finding fame and they married in 2001.

Inside the home is Kay’s extensive collection of video tapes of old shows, such as Mork & Mindy, and the Christmas special editions of the Radio Times and TV Times, which he has collected since he was seven.

Plus, of course, all the TV theme tunes he taped from the TV, and which form part of his act.

His neighbours describe him a great ambassador for Bolton, and ‘proud of his roots’.

He undertakes community fundraisers: in 2017 he performed at the Blackpool Opera House in aid of the Polly Haydock Appeal – a cancer treatment fund which aimed to send a mother from Bolton to Germany for pioneering immunotherapy treatment. Sadly she died a few months later.

The following year he hosted a charity screening of his show Car Share to raise money for The Lily Foundation, which helps children with mitochondrial disease.

In an interview in 2009, he explained: ‘I like to be low-profile and keep my head down. I still go up to the Co-op Late Shop for a bottle of Tizer. Staying in Bolton has been hugely important for me. Every street is a memory or a story for me. This is my home.’

He said: ‘Sometimes your work can become your life and real life can take a back seat but, for me, it’s the other way round; where I live and my family are my life.’

The family home where the Kays live with sons Charlie, 20, and Finley, 18, is less than ten minutes’ drive from the house he was raised in and which he so lovingly describes in his stand-up shows.

Wife Susan is his pre-fame sweetheart and they were married in 2001, just after his hit show Phoenix Nights started transmission. They met as teenagers, and she used to work in the local branch of Boots.

And it’s family which really drives him. It was revealed in 2011 that a helicopter was booked to bring him home every night to Bolton after he had performed in The Tour That Didn’t Tour – Tour, whisking him home from London, Newcastle and Birmingham so that he could do the school run in the morning.

Tickets for Peter Kay: Live have sold in unprecedented volume. By the time the tour concludes, it will have broken (his own) record for the biggest-selling stand-up show of all time

‘Being a dad is just brilliant and fantastic. You can’t put it into words what it’s like. I’ve met so many older actors and comedians who’ve told me they wished they’d spent as much time with their kids as they did chasing the money,’ he once said.

‘I didn’t want to be away for weeks on end. I would have regretted being stuck in London on the phone to my family every night saying, ‘I’ll be home soon’. That would have outweighed any joy I had doing the show.’

He also said that being away for even four nights would be ‘torture.’

Kay’s only material indulgence is a house in Ireland, where his mother is from. Bought in 2005, the holiday home is close to Lough Derg, a freshwater lake in the Shannon River Basin, which has shores in counties Clare, Galway and Tipperary.

He said in 2017: ‘We used to come over a lot and see the family and drive around so I said why don’t we get a house. We give Christmas a miss because the house is freezing.’ A curious statement as a man of his wealth could most certainly afford to heat it.

Peter’s father, Michael, was an engineer and his mother, Deirdre, a housewife, originally from County Tyrone. There was no showbusiness in his family.

Born on July 2, 1973, Peter was educated by nuns at his local Catholic school, Mount St Joseph, but was not a success academically, gaining a sole O-level in art.

His parents divorced, amicably, and he appears to have been fairly popular at school. He got onto a BA course in Drama, Theatre Studies and English Literature after fibbing about his qualifications, and then went to the Adelphi College in Salford, where he studied for an HND in media performance.

It was here that he tried stand-up for the first time – and loved it.

David Perkins, the manager of the Frog and Bucket comedy club in Manchester, still remembers his first gig. ‘He just blew me away. I knew he’d be massive. Acts couldn’t follow him. He was just too funny.’

Over the four years from 1996 to 2000 he worked incessantly, playing 500 clubs. To make ends meet he took jobs as a mobile disc jockey, cinema usher, loo-roll packer, shelf-stacker at Spar, in a cash & carry, video shop and Mecca Bingo bar.

Kay has said more than once that the experience left him spending his life waiting for a ‘tap on the shoulder’ to let him know that his time in the spotlight is up.

‘You do feel you’re not entitled to it,’ he said in an interview, adding with a typical flourish that he sometimes imagines he will be told: ‘Come back to Netto and stack boxes.’

The comic enjoyed years of stadium standup success… but then abruptly cancelled his tour in 2017, leaving fans baffled and concerned

His first break on television was in The Services – set in a service station outside Bolton – for Channel 4. It was followed by the spoof documentary series That Peter Kay Thing, and then the highly successful Phoenix Nights, in which Kay played wheelchair-bound Brian Potter, owner of The Phoenix Club in Bolton.

Phoenix Nights was followed by the spin-off Max & Paddy’s Road To Nowhere, about the club’s bouncers. His co-star was his old school friend, Paddy McGuinness. Kay co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in the show, and there were mutterings that he was controlling and demanding.

One-time friend and collaborator, Dave Spikey, told in 2010 how they fell out when Kay took all the credit for writing Phoenix Nights. Yet the comedy was instantly beloved.

Kevin Lygo, now in charge at ITV, hailed him as the new Ronnie Barker, saying: ‘He’s not in the tradition of the modern comedian at all. He doesn’t really tell jokes as such. His comedy is observational in the best sense, sweet and honest.’

Certainly his successes in these years were nothing less than phenomenal. His tours were the most successful in UK comic history, his book sold more than any other hardback autobiography.

Continued sales of his DVDs – which have sold more than ten million copies – and another tour in 2010 helped to keep the money pouring in. He also started to enjoy the friendship of some of his heroes, chat-show host Michael Parkinson and comedian Billy Connolly. Even Ronnie Barker was happy to exchange letters.

Kay sent him a nail file in a Soreen malt loaf – a reference to Barker’s role as convict Fletcher in Porridge. Barker wrote back in character, and Kay was utterly thrilled.

Yet he didn’t capitalise on his success as much as he could have. He said in 2011: ‘I’ve never been led by money. If I had been doing things for the money, I’d have done five tours by now. I didn’t tour for seven years because I wanted to wait until the children were older.’

Then in 2017, a tour was abruptly cancelled, leaving everyone baffled and concerned. A statement released to X, formerly Twitter, read: ‘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.’

He returned with a second series of Car Share, for which he won two Baftas, and there were plans for another tour, which were nixed by the pandemic. And now, with his children grown up, he is coming back with the longest tour of his career.

His set doesn’t really address any of the events in his life – like fatherhood and family life – but goes back over the familiar ground of TV adverts and mis-heard song lyrics – and talks about shopping from catalogues rather than Amazon.

The closest he gets to revealing anything personal comes in a section where he talks about his experience of an operation for kidney stones, and his amazement when the anaesthetist asks for a selfie. The finale is a conversation with his grandmother at the end of her life, replayed over a slideshow from his family album. She died recently aged 96.

Some hard-hearted audience members have criticised this as ‘bizarre’ and ‘not funny at all’. Others complained that he seems to be stuck retelling gags and revisiting riffs about adverts. ‘He was a comic genius. but I’d heard all the jokes before,’ said one.

But for many fans, it’s exactly what they want. ‘It has a familiar feel to it,’ says one. ‘But that’s why I wanted to see him.’

February 1, 2025
Peter Kay, 51, shows his lighter side as he heads back to his tour bus after rehearsals for his monthly residency at London’s O2 Arena

Peter Kay showed his lighter side as he was seen leaving rehearsals for his tour.

The comedian, 51, looked well as he headed back to his bus at the O2 Arena in London after practicing his comeback show.

Peter opted for a smart black jacket and jeans, teamed with a black cap as he exited the arena after rehearsals for his monthly residency at the London hotspot.

Peter has become the first artist in the world to get a monthly residency at the arena in North Greenwich, south-east London, and has upcoming dates at the venue until July 2025.

The star first began his tour in 2022, after taking a five-year break from the spotlight due to ‘unforeseen family circumstances.’

Although Peter has never shed light on what triggered a lengthy career break, his triumphant return to the stage after 12 years has seen him comically divulge a medical nightmare and open up about the death of a relative.

Peter Kay, 51, showed off his weight loss as he was seen for the first time in a year, after completing rehearsals for his show at London’s O2 Arena

The comedian looked well as he headed back to his tour bus after preparing for his show at London’s O2 Arena

Peter has delighted fans with his return to stand-up comedy, and has been displaying his slimmed-down physique (pictured in 2017)

Touching on his health on the opening night of his tour in 2022, Kay described the indignities of a recent kidney stones operation – an experience which went from bad to worse when an anaesthetist asked him for a selfie.

As male members of the audience were left uncontrollably laughing and wincing at the same time, it also marked the closest time the public has ever got to any explanation of Kay’s exile from the limelight.

Peter shocked fans after appearing in a rare photograph as he performed his stand-up show in May last year.

And the comic said: ‘See how much weight Peter Kay has lost.’

Before announcing the new tour, Peter had disappeared from public life, before releasing a statement in December 2017 to say he was returning to the limelight.

At the time speculation was rife among fans about the reason for his absence, with Peter’s social media also plunged into silence until March 2018, when he return to announce a charity screening of Peter Kay’s Car Share.

The event was held to raise money for The Lily Foundation, which helps children with mitochondrial disease, and in a post on his blog, Peter detailed how he had ‘first hand’ experience of the charity’s work.

Peter then completely disappeared from public life for a year, and reportedly relocated to Tipperary, Ireland, where locals claimed he seemed determined to fly under the radar.

Peter opted for a smart black jacket and jeans, teamed with a black cap as he exited the arena after rehearsals for his monthly residency at the London hotspot

Peter has become the first artist in the world to get a monthly residency at the arena in North Greenwich, south-east London, and has upcoming dates at the venue until July 2025

The star first began his tour in 2021, after taking a five-year break from the spotlight due to ‘unforeseen family circumstances’

Although Peter has never shed light on what triggered a lengthy career break, his triumphant return to the stage after 12 years has seen seen him comically divulge a medical nightmare

Peter shocked fans after appearing in a rare photograph as he performed his stand-up show in May last year

Touching on his health on the opening night of his tour in 2021, Kay described the indignities of a recent kidney stones operation

Before announcing the new tour, Peter had disappeared from public life, before releasing a statement in December 2017 to say he was returning to the limelight

At the time, one resident told The Sun: ‘Peter clearly wanted to keep a low profile and did everything he could to avoid attracting attention to himself while staying here.

You’d never see him in the local pubs or restaurants, and he always seemed to be alone. Most people only ever saw him passing through.’

The resident added that while Peter was determined to keep a low profile, his expensive Range Rover somewhat gave the game away.

In November 2017, Peter briefly touched on his second property in Ireland, saying on The Late Late Show: ‘I don’t talk about it because I don’t want it to get robbed. We’ve had a house here for 12 years.

‘We come here all the time. Whenever there’s a school holiday, really. We give Christmas a miss because the house is freezing. It takes ages to warm up.’

Peter Kay’s Car Share was awarded the Best Comedy Gong at the National Television Awards in 2019, but he failed to attend the ceremony, leaving co-star Sian Gibson to collect the gong on their behalf.

Handing Sian the prize, Peter’s former Phoenix Nights co-star Paddy McGuinness joked: ‘Where is he? Where is he?’, prompting her to say he was ‘watching from home with a cup of tea.’

Sian went onto hint that she and Peter were already planning more projects together, after Car Share came to an end in 2018.

At the time speculation was rife among fans about the reason for his absence, with Peter’s social media also plunged into silence until March 2018

Peter then completely disappeared from public life for a year, and reportedly relocated to Tipperary, Ireland, where locals claimed he seemed determined to fly under the radar

At the time, one resident told The Sun: ‘Peter clearly wanted to keep a low profile and did everything he could to avoid attracting attention to himself while staying here’

In November 2022, Peter then delighted the nation by announcing he would be returning to touring for the first time in 12 years, including a monthly residency at London’s O2 Arena

In April 2019, Peter resurfaced for the first time in many months, making a surprise appearance at a screening of Car Share at Blackpool Opera House, which raised £34,000 for The Lily Foundation.

While visiting the beachside town, Peter also posed for a snap with fans riding the tram on the coast.

In December of that year, Peter also attended the Peter Pan pantomime in Crewe and Nativity! The Musical in London, posing for a snap with director Debbie Isitt.

‘So lovely to see the brilliant comic genius Peter Kay and his lovely family @nativityuk tonight for our final show!’ she wrote on social media. ‘What a lovely surprise for us all.’

In February 2020, Peter announced his return to the stage with six Dance For Life shows, but they were sadly postponed due to the Covid pandemic.

The funnyman did make a short return to TV in April 2020 for BBC’s Big Night In Special, as part of a reworked version of his iconic music video for (Is This The Way To) Amarillo.

He then went onto perform two sold-out Dance For Life shows to raise money for Laura Nuttall, 21, who had an aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme. She sadly died in May 2023.

In November 2022, Peter then delighted the nation by announcing he would be returning to touring for the first time in 12 years, including a monthly residency at London’s O2 Arena.

Taking to the stage for his first night in Manchester, Peter was moved to tears as he received a standing ovation from the audience that lasted several minutes.

Struggling to compose himself following the reaction, Peter told the crowd: ‘Oh Jesus look at me, I mean what’s that all about… how am I supposed to do bloody comedy now?’

‘Lovely Manchester you made me cry… where did it come from, all that emotion?’

January 27, 2025
British comedian tops 2024 UK rich list as TV star earned over £27MILLION from residency tour

A British comedian topped the 2024 rich list thanks to his residency tour, which earned him an impressive £27million.

Peter Kay’s Better Late Than Never tour came up trumps, beating Michael McIntyre’s £10.3million earnings.

Tickets to the 51-year-old comic’s gig cost an average of £59.70 in stark comparison to Michael’s £43.35 tickets.

According to The Sun, Pollstar claimed Peter dominated the box office’s earnings for comedians.

Pollstar’s JR Lind said: ‘The mainstreaming of stand-up comedy continued in 2024, shoving its way into the serious sides of the discourse.

‘The proliferation of streaming, social media and podcasting has accelerated the career velocity of a working comic and changed the calculus.

British comedian Peter Kay (pictured), 51, topped the 2024 rich list thanks to his residency tour, which earned him an impressive £27million

Peter’s Better Late Than Never tour came up trumps, beating Michael McIntyre’s £10.3million earnings (Michael pictured in 2024)

‘The new math gives comics the ability to reach an audience anytime, anywhere, building a fanbase as rabid and dedicated as a pop star, they no longer can be pigeonholed as the court jesters skewering the powerful and humorously noting their shortcomings.’

Peter announced 21 new dates in November 2024, kicking off in February 2025 and will finish his show in February 2026.

Pete Kay Live originally kicked off in December 2022 and the new dates will see him visit 16 cities over the course of a year.

The new tour which will run in 2025 and 2026 will include his first dates at Aberdeen P&J Live, Brighton Centre, Bournemouth International Centre and Isle of Man Villa Marina.

Peter has already broken records during the tour after selling out 45 dates at London’s O2 Arena, the only artist to do so in the world.

The funnyman also performed a record 100 shows at the Manchester AO Arena – breaking all attendance and performance records.

It comes after Peter caused concern among US Netflix bosses after he ad-libbed an English idiom in the Wallace and Gromit Christmas special that went completely over their heads.

Making a big comeback for the animated duo, Vengeance Most Fowl premiered on Christmas Day on BBC One, marking the comedian’s first TV role in four years.

Tickets to Peter’s gig cost an average of £59.70 in stark comparison to Michael’s £43.35 tickets

Peter caused concern among US Netflix bosses after he ad-libbed an English idiom in the Wallace and Gromit Christmas special that went completely over their heads (pictured 2017)

Making a big comeback for the animated duo, Vengeance Most Fowl premiered on Christmas Day on BBC One, marking the comedian’s first TV role in four years as Chief Inspector Mackintosh (pictured)

The special was watched by a whopping 9million in the UK on Christmas Day and will be streamed for all the world on Netflix from next week

And employing his usual comedic talents and charm, Peter, 51, couldn’t resist improvising some of his lines as Chief Inspector Mackintosh.

The special saw the return of Wallace and Gromit’s arch-nemesis Feathers McGraw – 16 years after their previous adventure together.

And after it was watched by a whopping 9million in the UK on Christmas Day, it will be streamed for all the world on Netflix from next week.

But executives for the streamer were reportedly left scratching their heads over one of Peter’s ad-libbed lines and worried the well-known English phrase was offensive.

The idiom, ‘flippin’ Nora’ is commonly used in the North as as an expression of surprise or dismay.

Chief Inspector Mackintosh’s cries out the words after the criminal penguin Feathers successfully escapes prison.

But according to The Sun, Netflix were baffled by it, with Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park telling the publication: ‘Peter ad-libs quite a lot.

‘At one point he’s astonished at something and shouts “flippin Nora”. One day we did get a note back to ask “Who is Nora and why is she being flipped?”‘

But executives for the streamer were reportedly left scratching their heads over one of Peter’s ad-libbed lines and worried the well-known English phrase was offensive

It comes after Nick revealed he had to beg Peter to come out of TV retirement and appear in the Christmas special (pictured last month)

Speaking at the London premiere ahead of the film’s festive release, he revealed how he convinced Peter to get involved again, after previously starring in 2005’s The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (pictured)

While creative director Merlin Crossingham explained they rushed to explain to the execs that it was entirely ‘innocent’.

He said: ‘[We had to explain to them that] it’s not rude, it’s not an expletive, it’s an innocent turn of phrase.’

It comes after Nick revealed he had to beg Peter to come out of TV retirement and appear in the Christmas special.

Speaking at the London premiere ahead of the film’s festive release, he revealed how he convinced Peter to get involved again, after previously starring in 2005’s The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Nick explained: ‘I actually wrote to him, I wrote a letter to him. It was just to try and talk him into doing this again, you know, because of how wonderful he was in Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

‘We told him that we’d expanded his character more in this one, he’s got a bigger role in this one.

‘‘He was just about to begin his giant tour which we didn’t know at the time so he did it while doing that, in between gigs.’

Elaborating on Inspector Mackintosh, the creator added: ‘This was a great opportunity for us to really explore the character, find the comedy of his exasperation, and his rather misplaced old-fashioned views on how policing should go down.

The highly-anticipated feature-length film saw Gromit’s growing concern as Wallace becomes over-dependent on his inventions – which proves justified when Wallace creates a ‘smart gnome’ that seems to develop an evil mind of its own

Feathers McGraw is back with vengeance, with the villain last seen in 1993’s Bafta and Academy Award-winning short The Wrong Trousers.

‘So it was just really nice to expand the character with Peter, and make it a bit more rounded.’

Speaking to MailOnline at the event, Merlin revealed that the comedian and actor also ‘did some ad-libs and some of those did make it in.’

He gushed: ‘He has a nice turn of phrase, and we really leant into that, his ability to make it more than just what is written. Peter is especially good at it.’

The highly-anticipated feature-length film saw Gromit’s growing concern as Wallace becomes over-dependent on his inventions – which proves justified when Wallace creates a ‘smart gnome’ that seems to develop an evil mind of its own.

As events begin to spiral out of control, it’s up to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces, or Wallace may never be able to invent again.

But who could possibly be behind such evil actions?! Rightfully behind bars for all this time, Feathers McGraw is back with vengeance.

The villain was last seen in 1993’s Bafta and Academy Award-winning short The Wrong Trousers.

The voice cast also featured the return of Ben Whitehead as Wallace, the eccentric, cheese-loving inventor from the North of England who lives with his best friend and loyal pooch, Gromit.

He stars along with new cast members Lauren Patel and Reece Shearsmith, along with cameos from Diane Morgan, Adjoa Andoh, and Lenny Henry.

Fans were delighted in 2022 when it was announced that Wallace and Gromit will be back for a Christmas 2024 feature film, over a decade after their last special, A Matter Of Loaf And Death.

Nick said: ‘I’d had the idea of a film about garden gnomes turning bad for more than a decade, but I could never work out what made them bad.

‘It occurred to me that the single most asked question I get when I meet fans is, will the penguin Feathers McGraw, Wallace and Gromit’s original antagonist from The Wrong Trousers 30 years ago, ever return?

‘We’ve had fun bringing him back in cameo capacities but now, three decades on, it felt like the right time. Then it hit me: What if Feathers was involved with these gnomes?

‘We’re hoping that this film will appeal to fans of ‘Gnome Noir’ everywhere and that people will be gratified when they see what Feathers has been up to since The Wrong Trousers.’

Co-director Merlin added: ‘While we love to revive enthusiasm across our existing fan base, we also want this film to reach people who have never come across Wallace and Gromit before.’

January 3, 2025
Peter Kay panics US Netflix bosses after they feared his ad-libbed English phrase in Wallace and Gromit Christmas special was offensive

Peter Kay caused concern among US Netflix bosses after he ad-libbed an English idiom in the Wallace and Gromit Christmas special that went completely over their heads.

Making a big comeback for the animated duo, Vengeance Most Fowl premiered on Christmas Day on BBC One, marking the comedian’s first TV role in four years.

And employing his usual comedic talents and charm, Peter, 51, couldn’t resist improvising some of his lines as Chief Inspector Mackintosh.

The special saw the return of Wallace and Gromit’s arch-nemesis Feathers McGraw – 16 years after their previous adventure together.

And after it was watched by a whopping 9million in the UK on Christmas Day, it will be streamed for all the world on Netflix from next week.

But executives for the streamer were reportedly left scratching their heads over one of Peter’s ad-libbed lines and worried the well-known English phrase was offensive.

Peter Kay caused concern among US Netflix bosses after he ad-libbed an English idiom in the Wallace and Gromit Christmas special that went completely over their heads (pictured 2017)

Making a big comeback for the animated duo, Vengeance Most Fowl premiered on Christmas Day on BBC One, marking the comedian’s first TV role in four years as Chief Inspector Mackintosh (pictured)

The special was watched by a whopping 9million in the UK on Christmas Day and will be streamed for all the world on Netflix from next week

The idiom, ‘flippin’ Nora’ is commonly used in the North as as an expression of surprise or dismay.

Chief Inspector Mackintosh’s cries out the words after the criminal penguin Feathers successfully escapes prison.

But according to The Sun, Netflix were baffled by it, with Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park telling the publication: ‘Peter ad-libs quite a lot.

‘At one point he’s astonished at something and shouts “flippin Nora”. One day we did get a note back to ask “Who is Nora and why is she being flipped?”‘

While creative director Merlin Crossingham explained they rushed to explain to the execs that it was entirely ‘innocent’.

He said: ‘[We had to explain to them that] it’s not rude, it’s not an expletive, it’s an innocent turn of phrase.’

It comes after Nick revealed he had to beg Peter to come out of TV retirement and appear in the Christmas special.

Speaking at the London premiere ahead of the film’s festive release, he revealed how he convinced Peter to get involved again, after previously starring in 2005’s The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

But executives for the streamer were reportedly left scratching their heads over one of Peter’s ad-libbed lines and worried the well-known English phrase was offensive

It comes after Nick revealed he had to beg Peter to come out of TV retirement and appear in the Christmas special (pictured last month)

Speaking at the London premiere ahead of the film’s festive release, he revealed how he convinced Peter to get involved again, after previously starring in 2005’s The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (pictured)

Nick explained: ‘I actually wrote to him, I wrote a letter to him. It was just to try and talk him into doing this again, you know, because of how wonderful he was in Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

‘We told him that we’d expanded his character more in this one, he’s got a bigger role in this one.

‘‘He was just about to begin his giant tour which we didn’t know at the time so he did it while doing that, in between gigs.’

Elaborating on Inspector Mackintosh, the creator added: ‘This was a great opportunity for us to really explore the character, find the comedy of his exasperation, and his rather misplaced old-fashioned views on how policing should go down.

‘So it was just really nice to expand the character with Peter, and make it a bit more rounded.’

Speaking to MailOnline at the event, Merlin revealed that the comedian and actor also ‘did some ad-libs and some of those did make it in.’

He gushed: ‘He has a nice turn of phrase, and we really leant into that, his ability to make it more than just what is written. Peter is especially good at it.’

The highly-anticipated feature-length film saw Gromit’s growing concern as Wallace becomes over-dependent on his inventions – which proves justified when Wallace creates a ‘smart gnome’ that seems to develop an evil mind of its own.

As events begin to spiral out of control, it’s up to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces, or Wallace may never be able to invent again.

The highly-anticipated feature-length film saw Gromit’s growing concern as Wallace becomes over-dependent on his inventions – which proves justified when Wallace creates a ‘smart gnome’ that seems to develop an evil mind of its own

Feathers McGraw is back with vengeance, with the villain last seen in 1993’s Bafta and Academy Award-winning short The Wrong Trousers.

But who could possibly be behind such evil actions?! Rightfully behind bars for all this time, Feathers McGraw is back with vengeance.

The villain was last seen in 1993’s Bafta and Academy Award-winning short The Wrong Trousers.

The voice cast also featured the return of Ben Whitehead as Wallace, the eccentric, cheese-loving inventor from the North of England who lives with his best friend and loyal pooch, Gromit.

He stars along with new cast members Lauren Patel and Reece Shearsmith, along with cameos from Diane Morgan, Adjoa Andoh, and Lenny Henry.

Fans were delighted in 2022 when it was announced that Wallace and Gromit will be back for a Christmas 2024 feature film, over a decade after their last special, A Matter Of Loaf And Death.

Nick said: ‘I’d had the idea of a film about garden gnomes turning bad for more than a decade, but I could never work out what made them bad.

‘It occurred to me that the single most asked question I get when I meet fans is, will the penguin Feathers McGraw, Wallace and Gromit’s original antagonist from The Wrong Trousers 30 years ago, ever return?

‘We’ve had fun bringing him back in cameo capacities but now, three decades on, it felt like the right time. Then it hit me: What if Feathers was involved with these gnomes?

‘We’re hoping that this film will appeal to fans of ‘Gnome Noir’ everywhere and that people will be gratified when they see what Feathers has been up to since The Wrong Trousers.’

Co-director Merlin added: ‘While we love to revive enthusiasm across our existing fan base, we also want this film to reach people who have never come across Wallace and Gromit before.’

December 29, 2024
Peter Kay makes HUGE announcement as he appears in a surprise advert during ITV’s I’m A Celeb launch show

Peter Kay made a surprise announcement on Sunday about his record breaking tour during I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

The comedian appeared in an advert during the hit ITV series announcing his one-man show was bring extended as new dates are added over the next two years.

In the new ad Peter was seen carrying a large gold toilet into his mum’s iconic bungalow, a reference to the title of his 2002 Mum Wants A Bungalow tour, which had an elaborate mural of Freddie Mercury on the garage door.

A voice yelled over to Peter, ‘Is that Freddie Mercury?’

Peter replied: ‘Yeah she is obsessed with him’.

Peter Kay made a surprise announcement on Sunday about his record breaking tour during I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

The comedian appeared in an advert during the hit ITV series announcing his one-man show was bring extended as new dates are added running over the next two years

The fan asked: ‘Are you doing any more shows?’

‘I have no choice, she wants it all now,’ Peter yelled.

Peter announced 21 new dates, kicking off in February 2025 and will finish his show in February 2026.

Peter Kay Live originally kicked off in December 2022 and the new dates will see him visit 16 cities over the course of a year.

The new tour which will run in 2025 and 2026 will include his first dates at Aberdeen P&J Live, Brighton Centre, Bournemouth International Centre and Isle of Man Villa Marina.

Peter has already broken records during the tour after selling out 45 dates at London’s O2 Arena, the only artist to do so in the world.

The funnyman also performed a record 100 shows at the Manchester AO Arena – breaking all attendance and performance records.

Peter said in a statement: ‘It’s been wonderful doing what I love most, stand-up comedy. Laughter is more important than ever in these challenging times and with the cost of living still at an all-time high, ticket prices for the new dates will start from £35.’

Tickets go on sale on Saturday November 23 at 10am.

Peter was seen carrying a large gold toilet into his mum’s iconic bungalow which had an elaborate mural of Freddie Mercury on the garage door

A voice yelled over to Peter, ‘Is that Freddie Mercury?’ Peter replied: ‘Yeah she is obsessed with him’ The fan asked: ‘Are you doing any more shows?’ ‘I have no choice, she wants it all now,’ Peter yelled

Peter announced 21 new dates, kicking off in February 2025 and will finish his show in February 2026

It comes after Peter’s set to make a TV comeback as he breaks his acting hiatus for a special Christmas role.

The much-loved comic, who recently stepped back into the spotlight after an extended break, is set to feature in the new Wallace and Gromit film Vengeance Most Fowl, where he’ll take on the role of Chief Inspector Macintosh.

Wallace and Gromit fans were left delighted as the BBC dropped the first look at the highly anticipated Christmas Special on Wednesday afternoon.

The beloved cartoon duo are returning to screens for the first time in 16 years over the festive period and an iconic evil character is set to make an appearance.

Peter’s role in the film comes after he devastated fans back in 2017 when he announced that he would be cancelling his long-awaited comeback tour due to ‘unforeseen family circumstances.’

The beloved Bolton-born comedian noticeably retreated from the spotlight for five years following the cancellation.

At the time speculation was rife among fans about the reason for his absence, with Peter’s social media also plunged into silence until March 2018, when he return to announce a charity screening of Peter Kay’s Car Share.

Peter then completely disappeared from public life for a year, and reportedly relocated to Tipperary, Ireland, where locals claimed he seemed determined to fly under the radar.

In April 2019, Peter resurfaced for the first time in many months, making a surprise appearance at a screening of Car Share at Blackpool Opera House, which raised £34,000 for The Lily Foundation.

It comes as Peter is set to return to TV as he is set to feature in the new Wallace and Gromit film Vengeance Most Fowl, where he’ll take on the role of Chief Inspector Macintosh

The funnyman did make a short return to TV in April 2020 for BBC’s Big Night In Special, as part of a reworked version of his iconic music video for (Is This The Way To) Amarillo.

He then went onto perform two sold-out Dance For Life shows to raise money for Laura Nuttall, 21, who had an aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme. She sadly died in May 2023.

In November 2022, Peter then delighted the nation by announcing he would be returning to touring for the first time in 12 years, including a monthly residency at London’s O2 Arena.

And after stepping back into the public eye, Peter is set to delight fans once again as he takes on a role in the festive Wallace and Gromit film.

November 18, 2024
Paddy McGuinness admits he’s conflicted about spoiling his children after his tough upbringing – but insists he never wants them to feel how he did while growing up in Bolton

Paddy McGuinness has revealed he feels conflicted about spoiling his children after his own tough upbringing.

The comedian, 51, confessed that he loves his parents and how they raised him but doesn’t want his own children to experience any hardship.

The stand-up shares three children – 11-year-old twins Leo and Penelope, and eight-year-old Felicity with his ex-wife Christine.

He admitted it’s difficult because he wants to make sure his family don’t go without but he doesn’t want to be too soft.

He said: ‘It’s a tricky one with children, because if you’ve got the provisions to get your kid a toy if they want one, I think naturally, being soft as I am, I’m going to do that, especially not having had it myself.’

Paddy McGuinness, 51, has revealed he feels conflicted about spoiling his children after his own tough upbringing

The stand-up shares three children – 11-year-old twins Leo and Penelope, and eight-year-old Felicity with his ex-wife Christine (pictured together 2021)

The star told The Radio Times that although his parents worked hard, there were times when he was jealous of other children and their toys.

‘I remember how it made me feel in my childhood looking at the lad who had the best football boots, bike or toy.’ he said.

‘It didn’t do me any harm, I was fine in life, but I don’t want my kids to feel that, and they don’t.’

Paddy admitted that it’s easy not to spoil his children because they don’t ask for very much.

He said: ‘But the great thing about my children is I treat them to stuff like any other parent does, but they don’t mither me for a lot of things. They’re happy with what they’ve got. When it comes to Christmas, it’s me going, “Do you want one of these?” and they go, “Not really!” I try to get a nice balance with them.’

Paddy grew up in Farnworth, Bolton with his mother who worked as a cleaner and his father who served in the military, before working in the scrap metal industry then as a miner and finally as a lorry driver.

Although his parents gave him everything they could, Paddy said he remembers growing up desperately wishing for certain things.

And one of those was a purple Chopper, his bike of choice for his charity ride across the UK.

The comedian confessed that he is grateful to his parents and how they raised him but doesn’t want his own children to experience any hardship and described himself as a softy

Paddy’s love of a vintage bike he craved as a child inspired him to take on the mammoth task of cycling across the country for Children In Need (pictured riding his bike in Cheshire)

He told the publication that as a boy he got a BMX 2000 as a present and although he has fond memories of that bike, what he really wanted was a purple Chopper.

He said: ‘I remember thinking, ‘God, I’d give my right arm for that bike.’ I became mates with him and borrowed it off him for a while and swapped it for a Star Wars AT-AT [All Terrain Armoured Transport] toy.’

And decades later, during the first Covid lockdown, to cheer himself up, Paddy bought himself the same bike he had wanted as a child for £400 on eBay.

And it’s his love of that vintage bike that inspired him to take on the mammoth task of cycling across the country for Children In Need.

The comedian is embarking on the Radio 2 Ultra Endurance Cycle Challenge to raise money for the charity.

Paddy will start on Monday 11 November at Wrexham Football Club before travelling Flintshire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire, Westmorland, Cumbria, Dumfriesshire and Lanarkshire and finishing in Glasgow on Friday 15 November.

The presenter will be riding a bright yellow Chopper, complete with Pudsey Bear’s face on its frame for the endurance task.

Impressively, the star has had no help from a personal trainer, and the only professional cycling advice he has had has been from Olympic gold medalist Sir Chris Hoy.

The cyclist, revealed last month that his cancer had become terminal.

Impressively, the star has had no help from a personal trainer, and the only cycling advice he has had has been from Olympic gold medalist Sir Chris Hoy (pictured) who recently revealed his terminal cancer diagnosis

Paddy revealed he feels out of practice onstage but that he loved making people laugh after being encouraged to try stand-up by his friend Peter Kay (pictured together in 2005)

The six-time Olympic gold medalist, 48, shocked the sporting world when he revealed he would be living with stage four cancer for ‘the rest of his life’.

But despite the difficult news, the athlete has continued to love cycling and has been helping his neighbour and friend Paddy with training.

The Take Me Out host explained that Sir Chris lives near him and he reached out to ask for help with his training.

And the cyclist was more than willing to oblige and promised to take Paddy out on some ‘punishing rides’ to prepare him.

He also advised the TV star to ride his bike every day just to get used to being in the saddle because it can become painful sitting in the same position for so long.

And it seems Sir Chris has made it his personal mission to get Paddy ready, the star revealed he has been going to great lengths to help him.

He confessed: ‘He’s been going around finding me bum cream! I’ve got to slather it on myself, and the bib shorts I’m wearing.

It wasn’t until his friend Peter Kay went on stage at a small comedy club in Manchester that Paddy though stand-up could be a career option for him

‘It feels awful, but if you don’t have it on, you can’t ride any longer than an hour or two, because of the friction.’

As well as taking on the mammoth cycle, Paddy will be making his way around the UK via stage.

The tour will be his first in eight years and will wrap up in April 2025.

But Paddy admitted he is feeling out of practice and explained that it can be difficult to remember all the material.

He added that tours are very stressful because of the highs and lows and the feeling on stage when everyone is ‘laughing, and listening to you and hanging on every word’, an experience he said made him feel ‘ten feet tall’.

Despite his successful career, Paddy didn’t envisage himself as a professional comedian.

He told the magazine that if he hadn’t made it big on stage he would probably have continued working at a leisure centre and as a labourer.

He added that his parents didn’t encourage him because it wasn’t seen as an option and instead they were all focused on making sure they were bringing home a paycheck..

And although he went through a tough upbringing, Paddy said he loved his parents ‘to bits’.

And soon Paddy will be adding another accolade to his growing collection as host of CBeebies Bedtime Stories

It wasn’t until his friend Peter Kay went on stage at a small comedy club in Manchester that Paddy thought stand-up could be a career option for him.

Paddy went on to say it wasn’t even the applause he was after but the money, explaining that Peter – who went on to write Pheonix Nights and star in several of his own sold-out stadium tours – was paid £40 for the gig.

He said: ‘It was purely a financial decision. I was doing all right in jobs and various things, but I would have never been the CEO of a business or anything like that. I’d have just stayed at the level I was, so I thought comedy was a great way to better myself and try to make a few quid to help at home.’

And the comedy legend’s friendship was further cemented when Peter advised Paddy to pack in his day job and switch to comedy full time, a move that initially made him nervous as it took away the security of a regular pay packet.

But the star didn’t look back and was catapulted into the nation’s living rooms on hosting the ITV dating show Take Me Out from 2010 until 2019.

Paddy said he was very proud of the show which produced eight weddings and six babies and said it was the kind of TV that inspired later shows including Love Island and First Dates.

And soon Paddy will be adding another accolade to his growing collection as host of CBeebies Bedtime Stories.

The comedian watches the show with his children and is always reading them stories so he said it felt perfectly natural to appear on the show.

And all of this is happening against the backdrop of his recent BBC1 series Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping, with his former Top Gear co-presenter Chris Harris.

And the star likes to be kept busy keeps because he doesn’t take anything for granted and is constantly pushing forward on his next project, which right now is training for his mega-cycle.

November 5, 2024
Peter Kay Tops Comedy Rich List

Peter Kay has been named Britain’s best paid comedian as his eye-watering £34.6million fortune was revealed.

The Phoenix Nights star, 51, has beaten out the likes of The Office’s Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to clinch the top spot on the stand-up rich list.

Peter is currently in the middle of a three-year tour after returning to the stage in 2022 – following the cancellation of his 2018 gigs due to ‘unforeseen family circumstances’.

According to The Sun on Sunday, Companies House records show that despite being down £1.2million, Peter is still worth almost £35million.

This is over £8million ahead of his nearest rival Stephen, whose fortune amounts to £26.2million.

Peter Kay was named by The Sun on Sunday as Britain’s best paid comedian as his eye-watering £34.6million fortune was revealed

Ricky is close behind his co-writer with £25.8million, but there is a huge gap between him and fourth place comic Russell Howard.

Russell’s pay comes out at just over £10million, and he is followed by Jack Whitehall, Rock Beckett and Michael McIntyre.

Also making it onto the list are John Bishop and Hugh Dennis – with Sarah Millican the only woman to make it, in ninth.

It comes after Peter’s fan were left devastated in April when his Manchester gigs were postponed twice due to the venue, Co-op Live, not being ready.

Peter was meant to take to the stage on April 23 and 24, before venue delays resulted in them being pushed back a week to April 29 and 30.

However the comedian then explained his show’s would be rescheduled for a second time, and would instead go ahead on May 23 and 24.

Announcing the second postponement, the star savagely showcased his wit in the midst of the chaos as the previous dates were crossed out with some hilarious small print added to the bottom right-hand corner.

Alongside the May dates, Peter wrote on his poster with an asterisk: ‘If they actually open the place.’

He confirmed: ‘My apologies once again but unfortunately the Co-op Live still isn’t ready and so, as yet, remains untested for a large-scale audience.

‘Consequently, they are having to reschedule my two shows yet again (I know I can’t believe it either).

‘It’s very disappointing but your safety is very important, and I won’t compromise that.’

The plug was pulled on the stand-up gigs because the opening of the brand new Manchester Co-op Live venue ran behind schedule.

The venue was due to open on April 23 and is expected to compete with the 02 Arena for some of the world’s biggest sporting and music events.

But after a slew of issues delaying the opening, Gary Roden, general manager of the venue, quit.

The Black Keys’ new gig date became May 15 and in a statement, Co-op Live also said that there was ‘reassurance’ for fans that dates for US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, real name Julius Dubose, on May 1, and American singer Olivia Rodrigo’s performances on May 3 and 4 would be going ahead.

However, both A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Olivia Rodrigo dates were then postponed.

This was just over an hour before A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was set to perform, with the venue saying that there was a problem during the soundcheck.

But the star savagely showcased his wit in the midst of the chaos. The previous dates were crossed out, and Peter added some hilarious small print to the bottom right-hand corner

Announcing the news in an update on Friday, the comedian confirmed: My apologies once again but unfortunately the Co-op Live still isn’t ready’

A component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system used to direct air had separated from the ductwork, and the installer, contractor and third-party inspector would now have to test each nozzle to confirm they are free from the defect, the Oak View Group said.

Two hours after cancelling A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, the venue then said that Rodrigo’s gigs would not go ahead on May 3 and 4.

Take That said they would be moving their May shows from the Co-op Live to the AO Arena because of ‘ongoing technical issues’ and earlier that day another band, Keane, announced their May 5 gig at the venue had been postponed thanks to issues that were ‘entirely beyond our control’.

The venue said it would be taking ‘a short pause to events at Co-op Live to fully ensure the safety and security of fans and artists visiting the venue’.

Co-op Live finally had live music on May 14 with Elbow opening the new venue as its first headliners.

Peter’s gig finally went ahead later that month, only for the venue to again be thrown into turmoil when Nicki Minaj failed to show up for her performance on May 25 after getting arrested in Amsterdam.

July 22, 2024
Security guards at Co-op Live mislead Nicki Minaj fans about her whereabouts as chaos ensues over postponed concert.

Furious Nicki Minaj fans say security at the Co-op Live arena told them the singer was in the building when she was actually in police custody in the Netherlands before her gig was postponed.

Ticketholders, some of whom spent more than £2,000 getting into the Manchester venue, have raised questions about its handling of the situation and branded it ‘ridiculous’ that they were left waiting in their seats for hours before being told to go home.

The event on Saturday night was cancelled hours after it was due to start following the 41-year-old’s arrest at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on suspicion of drugs offenses that afternoon – something which she live-streamed on social media.

Fans claim that despite seeing Minaj had been detained 500 miles from her destination, security staff at the Co-Op Live arena tried to put them at ease by telling them ‘she had arrived and that everyone was going to dance tonight’.

Instead there would be boos and shouts of anger in the auditorium when more than 23,000 attendees were told the event was being shelved as the rapper wouldn’t make it on time.

Nicki Minaj was seen arriving into Manchester late on Saturday night after being arrested in Amsterdam

Fans gather inside the Co-op Live arena in Manchester on Saturday night before the Nicki Minaj concert was postponed

Nicki Minaj fans leave Co-op Live arena in Manchester in Saturday night after her concert is postponed

The decision sparked a furious backlash from some Minaj fans, who go by the collective name the Barbz, who claim bosses at the newly-built arena should have told them sooner the show was not going to go ahead.

Representatives for the beleaguered £365million arena, which belatedly opened this month after being plagued by setbacks, said they allowed people to enter to ‘ensure the safety and welfare of fans while awaiting updates’.

Alvin Christie, 29, from Liverpool, said he waited from 9am to attend the concert and criticised the mixed messages from staff at the venue.

He said: ‘I would say it was very poorly managed. When we arrived into the event, they were actively telling fans that she had arrived and that everyone was going to dance tonight.

‘For a lot of people that were asking those questions, that’s obviously (keeping) people’s hopes up. I understand that maybe they wanted to get people into the arena for health and safety risks to stop people being outside.

‘But I think most importantly, they maybe could have advised people as soon as they’ve known that the show was postponed and we should be turned away when we’re outside the arena, rather than holding loads of people in the arena.’

Mr Christie did not blame Minaj after her arrest in Amsterdam, and says fans wanted for her to be ‘in a good place’.

‘We completely understood the situation that was in hand and with her being transparent, and showing everyone what was going on, we were just more concerned that she was okay and if the show didn’t go on and was rescheduled, then we fully understood that,’ he added.

Minaj’s supporters, who go by the collective name Barbz, have voiced slammed bosses at the ‘cursed’ music venue for letting them go inside and spend money despite the show going ahead.

Eileen Allardyce, 32, a hotel manager from Edinburgh, spent around £2,500 on tickets, travel and hotel costs and says she will not be able to make a rescheduled date.

Ms Allardyce said that since Co-op Live announced a delay in April to its opening event, where comedian Peter Kay was due to perform, she has been ‘on eggshells’ along with her friends who also had tickets for Minaj.

The rapper was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on Saturday and says she spent six hours in custody before being allowed to go.

‘Obviously, it’s not Co-op’s fault what happened in Amsterdam, and it’s not Nicki’s fault either, like, obviously, no blame for her at all,’ she said.

‘But as I say, I just feel like the way they (the venue) handled it was just absolutely ridiculous. They have no clue, like absolutely no clue. I don’t think they were prepared for anything, to be honest.’

Ms Allardyce claimed that there were ‘no toilets’ at the Co-Op Live arena on Saturday while she queued outside the venue from 4pm.

Eileen Allardyce says she spent £2,500 on tickets, travel and accommodation, for the Nicki Minaj gig

Alvin Christie (right) claimed security told people that Minaj was in the arena when she was actually 500 miles away in Amsterdam

Nicki Minaj fans gathered outside the hotel she was staying in in Manchester this morning to try and catch a glimpse of the star

She also maintained that several security guards told her that Nicki Minaj was in the building, despite still being detained in Amsterdam.

‘I’m very disappointed, more so (towards) the venue because, obviously, everyone was unravelling on social media, everyone knew what the situation was and the venue completely let us down,’ Ms Allardyce said.

In Manchester fans of the singer gathered outside her hotel this morning to show their support for the artist after she arrived in the early hours of the morning.

Hope Brown, from Blackburn, revealed that last night’s concert was the second one that’s been cancelled on her this month at the Co-op Live arena.

‘I was meant to go to the Olivia Rodrigo concert earlier this month but that didn’t go ahead because the Co-op arena wasn’t ready,’ the 20-year-old said.

‘I’m beginning to think I’m jinked!

‘We’d booked a hotel so made the best of a bad situation.

‘When she was still in Amsterdam in the early evening, the concert should have been cancelled then.

‘It was never the ideal preparation for a concert going straight from a police station to a concert venue!’

Sophie Pearce, who had also been at the venue on Saturday night, said the organisation had been a ‘shambles’.

‘I’m so disappointed because I’ve been looking forward to the concert for so long,’ the 19-year-old said.

‘How it was handled was a bit of a shambles because all the fans were hanging around for hours when there was very little chance it would go ahead.

‘People have spent a lot of money to get here and it’s been for nothing.’

Olivia Wilkinson, 22, said: ‘It has been an expensive trip for nothing.

‘I’m really disappointed. The concert should have been cancelled sooner as it must have been obvious she was never going to get to Manchester on time.

‘I’ve spent around £200 on tickets and accommodation and am hoping to salvage something from it by seeing her today.’

Laura Williams, 24, who travelled down from Lancaster, added: ‘It’s obvious that Nicki really wanted to perform last night because she still came to Manchester even though the concert had been cancelled.

‘I’m not sure whose fault it is but I don’t blame Nicki Minaj. I just hope the concert can be rescheduled soon.’

Fans walk away from the Co-op Live arena on Saturday night after Nicki Minaj’s concert is called off

Co-op Live announced Nicki Minaj’s concert was being postponed hours after people were let into the venue in Manchester, sparking a backlash from fans

Minaj had live-streamed her arrest in the Netherlands at around 4pm after police detained her on suspicion of exporting soft drugs as she prepared to fly to Britain after ‘weed’ was allegedly found in her luggage. The singer denied it belonged to her and claimed the items were the property of her security team.

An hour and a half later Co-op Live tweeted that doors for her Manchester show would open at 7pm and fans entered, despite the R&B star not being released from custody until around 8.55pm.

She was later seen arriving at Manchester late on Saturday night after devastated fans were sent home.

She later tweeted that she had been ‘sitting in a jail cell for 5-6hours’ and asked her fans to ‘please please please accept my deepest & most sincere apologies’.

One fan told MailOnline last night that she was ‘absolutely heartbroken’ at Saturday’s concert being called off. ‘It’s not exactly like the tickets were cheap,’ said Alesha. ‘We spent an absolute fortune to be there tonight, let alone the travel and outfits we got for it.’

‘Absolute shambles that the Co-op live didn’t just let us let us know beforehand that the show was going to be postponed,’ she added, a sentiment shared by many other ticketholders.

One supporter wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘Co-op Live you are a f****** joke. You knew hours ago that the show wouldn’t go ahead yet you still allowed everyone to come and spend money at your venue to then cancel last minute. Absolute joke. Love Nicki, f*** Co-op Live!!!’

Comedian Mark Grimshaw said: ‘I’m not sure what’s crazier – the fact Co-op Live let ticket-holders into the venue whilst Nicki Minaj had literally been arrested in a different country, or the fact that this somehow isn’t the most incompetent thing Co-op Live have ever done.’

He added: ‘The actual arrest, and the reason behind it, is obviously down to Nicki Minaj and her team. They aren’t responsible for Co-op Live opening the venue hours after that happened, when she was still detained, and the gig clearly wasn’t going to be going ahead. Both are at fault.’

Disappointed fans are seen leaving the arena after being told that tonight’s show was called off

Hundreds of fans queueing outside Manchester’s Co-op Live arena ahead of the scheduled show were filmed this evening chanting ‘Free Nicki Minaj’

Fans leave the Manchester Co-op Live venue after the Nicki Minaj show was postponed

Kian Young, 23, who had travelled from Scunthorpe, said that he was ‘confused as to why the Co-op arena hasn’t spoken to its fans’ and asked why the venue hadn’t cancelled the event when news emerged of Minaj’s arrest.

‘Everyone’s come – my missus is crying,’ he told the BBC. ‘Why not tell us it’s cancelled before bringing us in?’

But others blamed the singer for the chaos. Olivia Gibson from Newcastle said she was now an ‘ex fan’ of Minaj.

‘I feel appalled. But also, in a way, I’m not shocked,’ the 21-year-old said, referring to the singer’s track record of running late and saying she should have allowed more time to get to Manchester from Amsterdam.

‘It’s not the Co-op Live’s fault. It’s Nicki Minaj’s fault,’ she added. ‘She’s just let all her fans down.’

A spokesperson for Co-op Live told MailOnline today: ‘To ensure the safety and welfare of fans while awaiting updates, the joint decision was made by venue and promoter to open our doors.

‘Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make the show happen, the events of yesterday made it impossible.’

In a statement released on her X account at 1am on Sunday morning, Minaj wrote: ‘Thank you to everyone who prayed for me today. May God cover you & all that is connected to you. May you be blessed beyond your imagination.

Fans of the star lined up eager to see Minaj despite the 41-year-old having to postpone her show after being arrested in the Netherlands

One fan held a sign saying ‘You the motherf****n’ fairest Nicki!’ as they waited for a glimpse of the rapper

Fans of Nicki Minaj gather outside the Manchester hotel where the singer is staying on Sunday morning after her concert at the Co-op Live arena was postponed last night

The singer posted an apology to her fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, after arriving in Manchester late on Saturday night

‘I arrived a little over an hour ago. After sitting in a jail cell for 5-6 hours, my plane still didn’t take off for another 20 mins once I boarded. The flight was 50 mins. 50 mins.

‘That’s why they had to do the big song & dance b/c they knew I’d still find a way to perform even if it came down to my last 90 mins in the building which would have been until 1130pm. The building was willing to go past 11pm. So grateful to them for that.’

She added: ‘Please please please accept my deepest & most sincere apologies. They sure did know exactly how to hurt me today but this too, shall pass.

‘We will have another date for tonight’s show shortly & I’ll probably be able to share it tmrw. One July option & one June option is currently being discussed.

‘I’ll find a way to not only make up the date with the performance but I’m going to create an added bonus for everyone that had a tkt for this show. Promise.

‘I’ll STILL be performing at the 2nd #Manchester show on the 30th. 5 days away. I’ll STILL be performing in #Birmingham tmrw.’

The American singer, known for the songs Starships, Super Bass and Anaconda, had been due to take to the stage at 6.30pm, but this was initially pushed back to 7pm.

Footage emerged of supporters queuing up in the hours before the scheduled gig, chanting ‘Free Nicki Minaj’ as they held onto hope that the star would be allowed to fly to perform at the Manchester arena.

Fans in the packed venue were devastated when they were informed that the show would not be going ahead, with many slamming the decision.

A private plane, believed to belong to Nicki Minaj, departs from Schiphol East airport after the rapper was released by police

Despite vehemently denying that she was carrying any drugs, the 41-year-old rapper was told that she needed to go to the police station in footage captured during an Instagram Live

Before the alleged arrest, Minaj shared a series of posts on X (previously known as Twitter ), about her bags getting pulled for a thorough search at the airport

‘They’ve been trying everything they possibly can to TRY to stop this tour,’ she wrote in one tweet, before theorizing that they were trying to ‘plant things’ in her luggage

Minaj tweeted that her ‘filming every single thing made’ airline employees and police ‘mad’

In the wake of the latest drama to impact the venue, many concertgoers have also defended Co-op Live.

One wrote on X that Minaj’s lateness was ‘genuinely not their fault’, adding that organisers ‘cannot catch a break’.

Another suggested that it would have been worse not to let fans into the arena. ‘Why is everyone blaming co-op live? They let everyone in when the doors opened they could have left everyone outside, saying, ‘we’re not letting anyone in yet..”

And one said that the blame should be shared by organisers and Minaj. ‘Co-op Live can take accountability for letting people in before confirming she was in the country.

‘But Nicki Minaj, I love u but you shoulda travelled yesterday, not 3 hours before doors open,’ the fan added.

Many have said they are unsure if they would be able to make the rescheduled performance, dates for which have not been announced yet.

Frankie Harper, 20, from Andover, Hampshire, said: ‘(I’m) distraught to say the least. It definitely hurts more that it was on my birthday. Not sure what happens with the £100s that you spend on a train and hotel.’

Nord Herida, 23, who lives in Barnsley and travelled an hour to attend the concert, said he had felt before the postponement that his time was ‘being wasted’ inside the arena.

Members of Minaj’s fanbase, known as the ‘Barbz’, wore her trademark pink to the concert

Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena has been plagued by issues from its testing to eventual opening earlier this month

Nicki Minaj was seen for the first time since her drug arrest in Amsterdam as she arrived to the United Kingdom on Saturday night

Nicki Minaj filmed herself seemingly getting arrested for allegedly ‘carrying drugs’ while traveling from Amsterdam to Manchester for her next show

He added that his friend had travelled four hours from Ipswich to get to the gig and that they had been waiting since 1pm at the arena.

‘(I’m) p***** not (going to) lie, they have taken this long to tell us,’ Mr Herida said.

Latest in a string of issues for Co-op Live

Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena has been plagued by issues from its testing to eventual opening earlier this month.

Here is a timeline of what has happened:

April 20

Headaches for Co-op Arena emerged after capacity for a test event was reduced with just hours’ notice.

Rick Astley did perform at the arena, however, and there were reports on social media that the event was a success.

April 22

Yet more issues came when comedian Peter Kay’s performances were postponed with less than 48 hours’ notice.

His original dates were shifted to April 29 and 30, with Kay writing on social media that he was ‘truly gutted’ for his fans.

A spokesman for the arena said that ‘consistent total power supply to our fully electric sustainable venue’ was two days behind and there needed to be more time to test it ‘thoroughly’.

April 25

Following a slew of issues, general manager Gary Roden resigned.

April 26

Peter Kay and The Black Keys both had to reschedule dates because of the venue not being ‘ready’.

Kay’s gigs were moved to May 23 and May 24, and he said it was ‘very disappointing but your safety is important, and I won’t compromise that’ on X, formerly Twitter.

The new date for the US rock band The Black Keys became May 15.

In a statement, Co-op Live also said that there is ‘reassurance’ for fans that dates for US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, real name Julius Dubose, on May 1, and American singer Olivia Rodrigo’s performances on May 3 and 4 would be going ahead.

May 1

Both A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Olivia Rodrigo dates are postponed.

This was just over an hour before A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was set to perform, with the venue saying that there was a problem during the soundcheck.

A component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system used to direct air had separated from the ductwork, and the installer, contractor and third-party inspector would now have to test each nozzle to confirm they are free from the defect, the Oak View Group said.

Two hours after cancelling A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, the venue then said that Rodrigo’s gigs would not go ahead on May 3 and 4.

May 2

Take That said they would be moving their May shows from the Co-op Live to the AO Arena because of ‘ongoing technical issues’.

Earlier that day another band, Keane, announced their May 5 gig at the venue had been postponed thanks to issues that were ‘entirely beyond our control’.

The venue said it would be taking ‘a short pause to events at Co-op Live to fully ensure the safety and security of fans and artists visiting the venue’.

May 14

Live music finally got under way at the Co-op Live arena after Manchester band Elbow opened the new venue as its first headliners.

May 25

Nicki Minaj is arrested in the Netherlands hours before she is due to fly to the UK to perform at the Co-op Live Arena.

Dutch police said at around 9pm that they released their ‘suspect and she can now move on’, but Live Nation announced soon after that the show, originally set to have doors open at 6.30pm, had been postponed.

‘Like I work, I can’t just take a day off.’

Super fan Connor Wynne told Sky that he had been queueing since before 8am this morning to get a front row position for the show.

He said he and his friends were holding out hope of seeing the star after they ‘heard a helicopter go over’.

But soon after, fans’ hopes of seeing their favourite singer were dashed when organisers announced the show was being postponed.

‘Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25th May has been postponed,’ a statement online said.

‘Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performance which will be announced ASAP.

‘Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible.’

It added: ‘We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused. More information will be available at your point of purchase.’

Minaj went silent on social media at around 4pm this evening following a series of social media posts on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram.

In them, she said that police had told her they found drugs in her luggage after items were checked by customs.

She wrote that ‘they found weed’ and her security ‘already advised them’ that items belong to them, and not her.

Minaj also claimed that her bags had been taken by ‘customs’, with someone who looked like he worked for Schiphol Airport saying that the fact she filmed security checks prompted her luggage to be searched again, in a video shared on Instagram.

She alleged: ‘They’ve been trying to stop me from coming to every show. They took my bags before I could see them. Put it on the plane. Now saying they’re waiting on customs.’

Minaj also live-streamed what appeared to be a conversation with an officer, who asked her to get into a van so she could go to a police station.

‘I’m not carrying drugs, I’m not going in there,’ she says in the clip.

She then asks the officer if she is ‘under arrest’ to which the the Dutch policeman replies ‘yes’.

The star is told by another policeman that she will get a ‘lawyer’ and to stop filming, and then gets inside the van.

A statement from Amsterdam’s Royal Military Constabulary read: ‘We have just released a 41-year-old American woman who we arrested this afternoon at Schiphol on suspicion of exporting soft drugs.

‘After consultation with the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect was fined and can continue her journey.’

Speaking to Sky News at around 9.15pm, Major Robert van Kapel of the military police said that she had been released from their custody around 20 minutes earlier.

He added that he believed she had set off on her onward journey, though would not disclose further details.

It was unclear at this point whether she would make the show, and there were few updates given throughout the saga.

It comes after the venue postponed its first official show several times after safety concerns.

The opening concert by rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was cancelled three times, while shows by bands Take That, Keane and The Black Keys and comedian Peter Kay were also postponed.

However, the arena finally had live music on May 14, when British rock band Elbow took to the stage.

Elbow frontman Guy Garvey appeared to quip about Co-Op Live’s previous woes last night as he took to the stage for the crisis-ridden music venue’s first gig.

Structural issues with the building were among a host of issues previously raised, with reports suggesting its ventilation system was falling from the ceiling.

One worker said ‘there were loads of wires hanging down’ with exposed lighting on the floor which looked ‘very messy’.

In an apparent nod to those woes, Garvey welcomed the audience by quipping: ‘There was already electricity in the air before you lot got in here… and now it’s fully amped up. I hope you can feel it.’

The rocker added that those who had been working on the building had been ‘so excited today, so nervous and so excited’.

May 26, 2024
Co-Op Live’s Troubles Persist: Nicki Minaj’s Concert Cancelled Last Minute due to Arrest in Amsterdam

The cancellation of Nicki Minaj’s Co-op Live Arena show in Manchester after she was arrested in Amsterdam is just the latest issue to hit the troubled new venue, with disgruntled music fans labelling it ‘cursed’.

Thousands of fans were allowed into the venue despite the 41-year-old star being detained at Schiphol Airport on suspicion of possessing soft drugs. She was fined and released from custody a few hours later.

Footage from inside Co-op Live, which is the UK’s biggest indoor arena with a capacity of 23,500, showed fans waiting patiently for the star to arrive – despite seemingly receiving no updates on her whereabouts.

When an announcement was finally made, fans were heard booing and shouting in disbelief, with organisers saying they were ‘deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused’.

It is just the latest problem to hit the £365 million arena, which belatedly opened this month after being plagued by setbacks. The venue’s opening concert by rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was cancelled three times, while shows by bands Take That, Keane and The Black Keys and comedian Peter Kay were also postponed.

One fan told MailOnline that she was ‘absolutely heartbroken’ at Saturday’s concert being called off. ‘It’s not exactly like the tickets were cheap,’ said Alesha. ‘We spent an absolute fortune to be there tonight, let alone the travel and outfits we got for it.’

‘Absolute shambles that the Co-op live didn’t just let us let us know beforehand that the show was going to be postponed,’ she added, a sentiment shared by many other ticketholders.

Fans leave the Manchester Co-op Live venue after the Nicki Minaj show was postponed

Disappointed fans are seen leaving the arena after being told that tonight’s show was called off

Nicki Minaj filmed herself seemingly getting arrested for allegedly ‘carrying drugs’ while traveling from Amsterdam to Manchester for her next show

Hundreds of fans queueing outside Manchester’s Co-op Live arena ahead of the scheduled show were filmed this evening chanting ‘Free Nicki Minaj’

Kian Young, 23, who had travelled from Scunthorpe, said that he was ‘confused as to why the Co-op arena hasn’t spoken to its fans’ and asked why the venue hadn’t cancelled the event when news emerged of Minaj’s arrest.

‘Everyone’s come – my missus is crying,’ he told the BBC. ‘Why not tell us it’s cancelled before bringing us in?’

But others blamed the singer for the chaos. Olivia Gibson from Newcastle said she was now an ‘ex fan’ of Minaj.

‘I feel appalled. But also, in a way, I’m not shocked,’ the 21-year-old said, referring to the singer’s track record of running late and saying she should have allowed more time to get to Manchester from Amsterdam.

‘It’s not the Co-op Live’s fault. It’s Nicki Minaj’s fault,’ she added. ‘She’s just let all her fans down.’

The American singer, known for the songs Starships, Super Bass and Anaconda, had been due to take to the stage at 6.30pm, but this was initially pushed back to 7pm.

Footage emerged of supporters queuing up in the hours before the scheduled gig, chanting ‘Free Nicki Minaj’ as they held onto hope that the star would be allowed to fly to perform at the Manchester arena.

Fans in the packed venue were devastated when they were informed that the show would not be going ahead, with many slamming the decision.

Footage from inside the venue, which has a capacity of 23,500, showed fans waiting patiently for the star to arrive

Nicki Minaj fans left the Manchester arena after waiting hours to see their favourite artist perform

A private plane, believed to belong to Nicki Minaj, departs from Schiphol East airport after the rapper was released by police

It comes after the venue postponed its first official show several times after safety concerns with the performer, US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, moving his gig to rival AO Arena over the delays.

However, the UK’s arena finally had live music on May 14, when British rock band Elbow took to the stage.

Elbow frontman Guy Garvey appeared to quip about Co-Op Live’s previous woes last night as he took to the stage for the crisis-ridden music venue’s first gig.

Structural issues with the building were among a host of issues previously raised, with reports suggesting its ventilation system was falling from the ceiling.

One worker said ‘there were loads of wires hanging down’ with exposed lighting on the floor which looked ‘very messy’.

In an apparent nod to those woes, Garvey welcomed the audience by quipping: ‘There was already electricity in the air before you lot got in here… and now it’s fully amped up. I hope you can feel it.’

The rocker added that those who had been working on the building had been ‘so excited today, so nervous and so excited’.

Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena has been plagued by issues from its testing to eventual opening earlier this month

In the wake of the latest drama to impact the venue, many concertgoers have also defended Co-op Live.

One wrote on X that Minaj’s lateness was ‘genuinely not their fault’, adding that organisers ‘cannot catch a break’.

Another suggested that it would have been worse not to let fans into the arena. ‘Why is everyone blaming co-op live? They let everyone in when the doors opened they could have left everyone outside, saying, “we’re not letting anyone in yet..”‘

And one said that the blame should be shared by organisers and Minaj. ‘Co-op Live can take accountability for letting people in before confirming she was in the country.

‘But Nicki Minaj, I love u but you shoulda travelled yesterday, not 3 hours before doors open,’ the fan added.

Members of Minaj’s fanbase, known as the ‘Barbz’, wore her trademark pink to the concert

Despite vehemently denying that she was carrying any drugs, the 41-year-old rapper was told that she needed to go to the police station in footage captured during an Instagram Live

Many have said they are unsure if they would be able to make the rescheduled performance, dates for which have not been announced yet.

Latest in a string of issues for Co-op Live

Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena has been plagued by issues from its testing to eventual opening earlier this month.

Here is a timeline of what has happened:

April 20

Headaches for Co-op Arena emerged after capacity for a test event was reduced with just hours’ notice.

Rick Astley did perform at the arena, however, and there were reports on social media that the event was a success.

April 22

Yet more issues came when comedian Peter Kay’s performances were postponed with less than 48 hours’ notice.

His original dates were shifted to April 29 and 30, with Kay writing on social media that he was ‘truly gutted’ for his fans.

A spokesman for the arena said that ‘consistent total power supply to our fully electric sustainable venue’ was two days behind and there needed to be more time to test it ‘thoroughly’.

April 25

Following a slew of issues, general manager Gary Roden resigned.

April 26

Peter Kay and The Black Keys both had to reschedule dates because of the venue not being ‘ready’.

Kay’s gigs were moved to May 23 and May 24, and he said it was ‘very disappointing but your safety is important, and I won’t compromise that’ on X, formerly Twitter.

The new date for the US rock band The Black Keys became May 15.

In a statement, Co-op Live also said that there is ‘reassurance’ for fans that dates for US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, real name Julius Dubose, on May 1, and American singer Olivia Rodrigo’s performances on May 3 and 4 would be going ahead.

May 1

Both A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Olivia Rodrigo dates are postponed.

This was just over an hour before A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was set to perform, with the venue saying that there was a problem during the soundcheck.

A component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system used to direct air had separated from the ductwork, and the installer, contractor and third-party inspector would now have to test each nozzle to confirm they are free from the defect, the Oak View Group said.

Two hours after cancelling A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, the venue then said that Rodrigo’s gigs would not go ahead on May 3 and 4.

May 2

Take That said they would be moving their May shows from the Co-op Live to the AO Arena because of ‘ongoing technical issues’.

Earlier that day another band, Keane, announced their May 5 gig at the venue had been postponed thanks to issues that were ‘entirely beyond our control’.

The venue said it would be taking ‘a short pause to events at Co-op Live to fully ensure the safety and security of fans and artists visiting the venue’.

May 14

Live music finally got under way at the Co-op Live arena after Manchester band Elbow opened the new venue as its first headliners.

May 25

Nicki Minaj is arrested in the Netherlands hours before she is due to fly to the UK to perform at the Co-op Live Arena.

Dutch police said at around 9pm that they released their ‘suspect and she can now move on’, but Live Nation announced soon after that the show, originally set to have doors open at 6.30pm, had been postponed.

Frankie Harper, 20, from Andover, Hampshire, said: ‘(I’m) distraught to say the least. It definitely hurts more that it was on my birthday. Not sure what happens with the £100s that you spend on a train and hotel.’

Nord Herida, 23, who lives in Barnsley and travelled an hour to attend the concert, said he had felt before the postponement that his time was ‘being wasted’ inside the arena.

He added that his friend had travelled four hours from Ipswich to get to the gig and that they had been waiting since 1pm at the arena.

‘(I’m) p***** not (going to) lie, they have taken this long to tell us,’ Mr Herida said.

‘Like I work, I can’t just take a day off.’

Super fan Connor Wynne told Sky that he had been queueing since before 8am this morning to get a front row position for the show.

He said he and his friends were holding out hope of seeing the star after they ‘heard a helicopter go over’.

But soon after, fans’ hopes of seeing their favourite singer were dashed when organisers announced the show was being postponed.

‘Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25th May has been postponed,’ a statement online said.

‘Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performance which will be announced ASAP.

‘Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible.’

It added: ‘We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused. More information will be available at your point of purchase.’

Minaj went silent on social media at around 4pm this evening following a series of social media posts on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram.

In them, she said that police had told her they found drugs in her luggage after items were checked by customs.

She wrote that ‘they found weed’ and her security ‘already advised them’ that items belong to them, and not her.

Minaj also claimed that her bags had been taken by ‘customs’, with someone who looked like he worked for Schiphol Airport saying that the fact she filmed security checks prompted her luggage to be searched again, in a video shared on Instagram.

She alleged: ‘They’ve been trying to stop me from coming to every show. They took my bags before I could see them. Put it on the plane. Now saying they’re waiting on customs.’

Minaj also live-streamed what appeared to be a conversation with an officer, who asked her to get into a van so she could go to a police station.

‘I’m not carrying drugs, I’m not going in there,’ she says in the clip.

She then asks the officer if she is ‘under arrest’ to which the the Dutch policeman replies ‘yes’.

The star is told by another policeman that she will get a ‘lawyer’ and to stop filming, and then gets inside the van.

Minaj also live-streamed what appeared to be a conversation with an officer, who asked her to get into a van so she could go to a police station.

‘I’m not carrying drugs, I’m not going in there,’ she says in the clip.

She then asks the officer if she is ‘under arrest’ to which the the Dutch policeman replies ‘yes’.

Minaj is told by another policeman that she will get a ‘lawyer’ and to stop filming, and then gets inside the van.

A statement from Amsterdam’s Royal Military Constabulary read: ‘We have just released a 41-year-old American woman who we arrested this afternoon at Schiphol on suspicion of exporting soft drugs.

‘After consultation with the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect was fined and can continue her journey.’

Speaking to Sky News at around 9.15pm, Major Robert van Kapel of the military police said that she had been released from their custody around 20 minutes earlier.

He added that he believed she had set off on her onward journey, though would not disclose further details.

It was unclear at this point whether she would make the show, and there were few updates given throughout the saga.

Promoters Live Nation and the venue Co-op Live, as well as a representative for Minaj, have been contacted for comment.

Before the alleged arrest, Minaj shared a series of posts on X (previously known as Twitter ), about her bags getting pulled for a thorough search at the airport

‘They’ve been trying everything they possibly can to TRY to stop this tour,’ she wrote in one tweet, before theorizing that they were trying to ‘plant things’ in her luggage

Minaj tweeted that her ‘filming every single thing made’ airline employees and police ‘mad’

May 26, 2024