STAND-UP comedian and actor Peter Kay delighted fans as he took to the stage at the Blackpool Opera House in aid of the Polly Haydock Appeal.

The December 2 show was initially meant to be a one off event but due to high demand and the tickets selling out within three hours, an extra show had been added the night before.

Peter Kay, Q&A in aid of the Polly Haydock Appeal
Peter Kay, Q&A in aid of the Polly Haydock Appeal

Former Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton asked Kay a range of questions submitted by the audience varying from ‘Would you bring back Phoenix Nights for another series?’ to ‘What is the biggest lie you’ve ever told?’.

The audience had the privilege of discovering an insight into Kay’s personal and work life as he discussed the fact that he has had three No1s in which he has sung in none, as well as the success of his award winning series’ Car share, Phoenix Nights, Max & Paddy’s Road To Nowhere, and his record winning stand up tour: The Tour That Doesn’t Tour Tour.

To fully appreciate Kay’s humour some would argue being from the north is an advantage, so it was no surprise to find that the Opera House’s 2,920 seats were filled with the familiar twang of northern accents. This was welcomed by Kay, who seemed overwhelmed, particularly with the support he receives from his home town, Bolton. His love for the North West was further endorsed when he told the audience about being offered opportunities in America to do films, as well as the option to do I’m A Celebrity, but he turned them down without a second thought as he explained he wouldn’t wish to do doing anything that would take him out of his home town. All his previous series were filmed in the North West, including the most recent Car Share which he stated had come across some stick from its Northern critics who noticed that the continuity was poor as some scenes would go from Salford to Horwich within 2 minutes of each other.

The two-hour show flew by as Kay had the audience in stitches with anecdotes he shared, including a story about flooding Eric Clapton’s garden and destroying his sandstone patio and flower beds at his 16-bedroom mansion in France, whilst emptying his paddling pool; along with how his career in comedy was kick started as a result of a friend who entered him into a competition in Manchester. After meticulously planning a whole script he ended up spending a full hour on stage talking about the tuna sandwiches his mum gave him for his packed lunch, yet still managed to win the competition.

Kay’s natural talent to make people laugh was evident throughout the show as the ad-lib jokes were constant. He held the audience in the palm of his hand as he was able to use their participation and interaction to his advantage, even turning heckles from the audience to his favour. Peter Kay admitted to feeling at home on stage describing it as his natural habitat, this was following a question which asked if he got nervous before a show. He went on to explain that it is hard to get nervous when his comedy consists of observation and his own personal experiences and life stories.

The second half of the show was dominated by what Helen Skelton described as an ‘illuminated rant’, as Kay found himself wound up by the way people are socially awkward around topics such as LGBT and dwarfism. While he was able to keep a jokey tone, he was clearly riled by people reluctant to discuss “taboo” subjects. Despite this, the show ended on a high as Peter Kay shared an exclusive clip from the brand new series of Car Share.

The Q and A format was a step away from his normal stand up show, but Kay is forever the entertainer and ensured the audience left Blackpool with smiles on their faces. This was further enhanced by knowing that all profits from the show are going towards the Polly Haydock’s My Children Need Their Mummy Cancer Treatment Fund.

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