Peter Kay says 'huge thank you' to fans for attending first Manchester shows in three-year tour

Comedian Peter Kay has said a "huge thank you" to fans who attended shows so far in his first live comedy tour in 12 years.

His gigs at the Manchester AO Arena were the first in a mammoth arena tour spanning from December into 2024.

The first performance, on Friday 2 December, brought him to tears after he received an enthusiastic standing ovation which lasted several minutes.

He wrote on Twitter: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came to the first shows in Manchester. It was incredible to be a part of such a happy experience.

“Everybody deserves a bit of joy. Here’s to a lot more in the shows to come!!”

The comedian, 49, also teased a “big announcement”, coming 6pm on Thursday.

He is due to visit locations including Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Belfast, Newcastle, Glasgow and Dublin, with the run ending in late 2023 at the Sheffield Utilita Arena.

Kay, from Bolton, has been largely out of the spotlight in recent years.

He returned to the stage in August 2021 for two special charity events to raise money for Laura Nuttall, a then 20-year-old with an aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme.

There was also a brief return in January 2021 when he appeared on BBC Radio 2 to chat to Cat Deeley – who was filling in after Graham Norton left the station – about his love of music, mixtapes and the musical Mamma Mia.

He also made a surprise appearance at a charity screening of his series Car Share in 2018.

Kay cancelled his last tour in December 2017, citing “unforeseen family circumstances”.