Peter Kay jokes he’s ‘going away for four more years’ as he receives standing ovation at start of comeback show

Comic said returning to the stage was like ‘getting into a hot bath’

Peter Kay was given an extremely warm welcome from fans as he returned to the stage for his comeback show in Manchester last night (7 August).

The comic was emotional as he received a standing ovation on entering the stage at the city’s O2 Apollo, according to a report in the Manchester Evening News.

He said: “I’ve never in my life had a standing ovation when I came on. I’m going to go away for four more years.”

As he started the matinee performance, Kay said: “I was a bit nervous this morning, when I got here. I was looking at all this and thinking, ‘Oh my God,’ but it’s really nice to be doing this. It’s like getting into a hot bath.”

At the first of two sold-out Q&As, Kay answered questions from audience members that had been submitted beforehand and were selected from a tub of Roses chocolates.

When one fan asked if people shouted “garlic bread” at him following his famous stand-up sketch, Kay said: “I can’t buy it when I go to the supermarket, I’m too embarrassed.”

Tickets to Kay’s highly anticipated return to the stage sold out in less than half an hour.

The comedian, who has been largely absent from the public eye for the last three years, hosted two live Q&As in aid of Laura Nuttall, 20, who has an aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme.

Kay has been largely out of the spotlight since a surprise appearance at a charity screening of his series Car Share in 2018. The 48-year-old made a brief return in January 2021 when he appeared on BBC Radio 2 to chat to Cat Deeley about his love of music, mixtapes and the musical Mamma Mia.

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