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Peter Kay fans have clamoured for tickets to see his return to the stage – selling the shows out in 30 minutes.

The Bolton funnyman, who has been all but absent from the public eye over the last few years, will make his stage comeback next month when he hosts two live Q&As in Manchester.

Kay’s shows will be in aid of 20-year-old Laura Nuttall, who has a severe form of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme.

The shows, called Doing It For Laura, will take place at Manchester’s 3,500-capacity O2 Apollo on 7 August.

They will take place at 1.30pm and 6.30pm – and sold out within just half an hour of going on sale at 9am on Friday, with fans after that being directed to a waiting list.

Ms Nuttall was diagnosed with her condition in October 2018 when she had a series of headaches while studying during her first term at King’s College London. She was 18 at the time and a brain scan showed six tumours.

She has just completed her second year at Manchester University where she is studying philosophy, politics and economics and will be in the audience, alongside her family, for the shows.

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Laura’s mother and father first met the comedian when they were working at Granada Television around 20 years ago, and said Kay phoned them out of the blue when their daughter had her diagnosis.

Kay has spent the last few years largely away from public view, after cancelling his last arena tour in December 2017 due to “unforeseen family circumstances”.

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In the time since, the Bolton star has surprised fans by turning up at a charity screening of his award-winning show Car Share in 2018, and talked about his love of music during an appearance on Radio 2 in January.

Kay shot to fame in his 2001 comedy Phoenix Nights, which followed the lives of people working at The Phoenix Club – a fictional working men’s club in Bolton.

But Kay is perhaps best known for his stand-up comedy, selling out tours up and down the UK from the early noughties.

He is no stranger to charity, having put together a number of fundraising singles for Red Nose Day and Children In Need, including re-releasing the Tony Christie track Is This The Way To Amarillo in 2005.

Last year he appeared on the BBC’s Big Night In, where he presented an updated version of his Amarillo video made by fans.

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Holly Willoughby fined after colliding with moped and injuring rider

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Holly Willoughby fined after colliding with moped and injuring rider

TV presenter Holly Willoughby has been fined in court after she admitted driving without due care and attention when her car collided with a moped, injuring the rider.

The star, 44, pleaded guilty by post to the charge at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday but did not attend the hearing.

Willoughby was fined £1,653 alongside £130 in costs and a £661 victim surcharge and given six points on her licence, the Metropolitan Police said.

According to court documents, the incident happened on 28 August as she was driving her Mini Cooper near her home in Richmond, southwest London.

Police were called to Church Road, Barnes, following reports of a collision.

The rider of the moped, a 43-year-old man, was taken to hospital. His injuries were assessed as neither life-threatening nor life-changing.

Read more from Sky News:
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Willoughby tells of ‘tough’ year

The presenter is best known for fronting Dancing On Ice as well as ITV daytime show This Morning, which she left in October 2023.

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Sabrina Carpenter hits out at ‘evil and disgusting’ White House video featuring her song

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Sabrina Carpenter hits out at 'evil and disgusting' White House video featuring her song

Sabrina Carpenter has hit out at an “evil and disgusting” White House video of migrants being detained that uses one of her songs.

“Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” the pop star posted on X.

The White House used part of Carpenter‘s upbeat song Juno over pictures of immigration agents handcuffing, chasing and detaining people.

It was posted on social media on Monday and has been viewed 1.2 million times so far.

President Trump‘s policy of sending officers into communities to forcibly round up illegal immigrants has proved controversial, with protests and legal challenges ongoing.

Mr Trump promised the biggest deportation in US history, but some of those detained have been living and working in the US for decades and have no criminal record.

Carpenter is not the only star to express disgust over the administration’s use of their music.

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Olivia Rodrigo last month warned the White House not to “ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda” after All-American Bitch was used in a video urging undocumented migrants to leave voluntarily.

Read more from Sky News:
Pope urges Trump not to oust Venezuelan president by force

Government delays Chinese ‘super embassy’ decision

In July, English singer Jess Glynne also said she felt “sick” when her song from the viral Jet2 advert was used over footage of people in handcuffs being loaded on a plane.

Other artists have also previously hit out at Trump officials for using their music at political campaign events, including Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, Ozzy Osbourne and The Rolling Stones.

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Dame Joanna Lumley warns of ‘crisis hidden in plain sight’ – with 1.5 million older people set to spend Christmas alone

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Dame Joanna Lumley has warned of a “crisis hidden in plain sight”, with 1.5 million older people set to spend Christmas alone.

Age UK spoke to more than 2,600 people and found 11% will eat dinner alone on 25 December, while 5% will not see or speak to anyone the whole day.

Applied to the overall population, the findings suggest 1.5 million people will eat alone at Christmas, according to the charity.

Dame Joanna said the “silence can be deafening” for those left isolated and called it “a crisis hidden in plain sight”.

The actor and campaigner is now joining other luminaries including Dame Judi Dench, Brian Cox and Miriam Margolyes to back Age UK’s campaign against loneliness.

The charity says its volunteers made more than 70,000 minutes’ worth of calls to people during Christmas week last year and is urging people to donate.

‘A tragedy we don’t talk about enough’

Age UK said it also supports coffee mornings and festive lunches to give lonely people the chance to enjoy in-person interaction.

Dame Judi said: “For so many older people, Christmas can be a time of silence – days without conversation or company.”

Succession star Brian Cox called the issue “a tragedy we don’t talk about enough”.

He said: “Far too many older people are left spending the season in silence, when it should be a time of warmth, connection and joy.”

Brian Cox is another of the campaign's high-profile backers. Pic: PA
Image:
Brian Cox is another of the campaign’s high-profile backers. Pic: PA

Margolyes, of Harry Potter fame, added: “Growing older shouldn’t mean disappearing into the background, we need to be seen, heard and celebrated.

“That’s what Age UK is striving for – they’re changing how we perceive age.”

Read more:
What counts as a white Christmas?
CCTV shows festive thief

The charity’s chief executive, Paul Farmer, said: “Your donation could bring comfort, friendship, and care to an older person facing loneliness this winter.

“From friendly, weekly calls to local lunch clubs, we’re here to make sure no one spends winter alone. But we can’t do it without you.”

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