Peter Kay breaks down crying on stage in first stand-up tour in 12 years
GARLIC BREAD. Yes, you read that right. Peter Kay is officially back, kicking off his new stand-up tour last night with his first show in 12 years.
I'm gutted to say I wasn't at the show myself, but the comedian was met with what I can only imagine were deafening cheers as he took to the stage of the AO Arena in Manchester on Friday (2 December) for the first of 110 arena dates.
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The comedian announced his return last month, and chaos swiftly ensued. His website crashed, and fans found themselves in queues of hundreds of thousands of people desperate to see the Bolton icon cracking jokes once again.
The first few thousand fans to do so chanted Kay's name as he arrived on stage last night, with their excitement enough to bring Kay to tears.
After composing himself, Kay told the audience: "How am I supposed to do comedy now? You'll have me in bits... I can't believe you made me cry."
Members of the audience from the show have since revealed that Kay's routine is as good as ever, with jokes focusing on ordinary and relatable topics that you might not think twice about until Kay points out just how ridiculous they are.
One fan, Olivia Matthews, told BBC News there was 'nothing too serious' in his routine, adding: "Everything's light-hearted. That's what we like about him. His last tour was 12 years ago and we were 10 or 11, so we're a new audience coming into it. I've always known him and always liked him, growing up. We've got to see his material, but never live."
Another member of the crowd, 63-year-old Paul Stokes, said Kay was 'a little bit overwhelmed when he first came out', but assured the comedian was 'excellent'.
Deborah Evitt, from Manchester, added: "He's genuine. He's a genuine person. You could tell what he did on that stage, he did from the heart. That's why I enjoyed it."
Kay was previously supposed to go on tour in 2018, but it was called off due to 'unforeseen family circumstances'.
After kicking things off in his near-hometown of Manchester, Kay is now set to travel across the country to stadiums in Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Belfast, Newcastle, Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow, Cardiff and Nottingham.
Due to high demand, the comedian added a number of extra dates following the initial release to try and entertain as many fans as possible.
His tour also includes a monthly residency at London's O2 arena set to run at least until February 2025.
Emily Brown