Peter Kay gets standing ovation as he makes long-awaited return to the stage
Peter Kay has said returning to the stage was like “getting in a hot bath” after receiving a standing ovation at a special charity gig.
The Bolton comedian, who has been all but absent from the public eye over the last few years, appeared on stage at Manchester’s O2 Apollo for the first of two live Q&As.
Kay, 48, 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.”
The comedian, 48, received two standing ovations at the event
The shows were in aid of 20-year-old Laura Nuttall, who has a severe form of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme.
Ms Nuttall, who was in the audience, was diagnosed with her condition in October 2018, when she suffered 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.
But thanks to fundraising, she has received immunotherapy treatment in Germany.
Her sister Gracie introduced the comic to the stage and told the audience that the family was “eternally grateful” to them for “potentially saving my sister’s life”.
Laura Nuttall (left) with her mum Nicola and dad Mark
Upon starting his 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 in a hot bath.”
Fans were not put off by the showery weather on Saturday as hundreds queued outside in the rain ahead of Kay’s first gig in years.
Fans queued around the O2 Apollo in Manchester ahead of the comedian’s show
Attendees were required to provide proof they had been double vaccinated or had negative COVID-19 tests before being let in.
Kay joked on stage about lateral flow tests, telling the audience: “People have been bringing them to the gate in bags.”
He received another standing ovation as the show finished.
“It’s been lovely. Thank you for coming to support Laura and her family and thank you for coming to see me,” he said.
The comedian has been away from the limelight for several years
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”.
He made a surprise appearance at a charity screening of his series Car Share in 2018, as well as a brief return in January 2021 when he appeared on BBC Radio 2 to chat to Cat Deeley about his love of music, mix tapes and the musical Mamma Mia.
The comedian 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 revealed the plan about making his long-awaited stage return for the charity event on Twitter at the end of last month – and tickets sold out for both shows within 30 minutes.
Girls Aloud have taken to the stage for the first gig of their reunion tour with emotional tributes to their late bandmate Sarah Harding.
A 30-minute delay to the show blamed on “Dublin motorway closures”, did nothing to dim the delight of fans when Nadine Coyle, Cheryl, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh appeared on stage, standing on individual podiums singing their 2008 song Untouchable.
The comeback tour has been dedicated to Harding, who was diagnosed with cancer and died in September 2021 aged 39.
The group’s late bandmate took centre stage. Pic: Tom Dymond/Shutterstock
During the show, the group performed a duet with Harding, whose vocals to I’ll Stand By You played as they joined in live on-stage.
They later sang one of their biggest hits, The Promise, during which the singers stopped and turned their backs to the audience to watch footage of Harding performing the song on her own.
A post on the official Girls Aloud X account said: “Show 1 done. Dublin you were absolutely INCREDIBLE. What a start to the #TheGirlsAloudShow tour.”
The singers won Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 and formed Girls Aloud, going on to achieve four UK number one singles and a Brit award.
Read more:
Tour will ‘never be the same’ without Sarah
Sarah Harding obituary
Girls Aloud star’s life in pictures
They reunited with new music for their 10th anniversary in 2012, while a second reunion was planned for their 20th anniversary when Harding was diagnosed with cancer.
The tour has been dedicated to Harding. Pic: Tom Dymond/Shutterstock
Less than an hour before their expected arrival at the 3Arena in Dublin, the group issued an updated stage time on X.
It said due to “Dublin motorway closures”, the band would arrive 30 minutes later than expected at 9.15pm.
Ahead of the show, a post on the official Girls Aloud X account said: “Rehearsals? Done. Choreography? Ready. Outfits? Fitted. Girls? Aloud.
“…We’ve been working so hard to make this show special for all of you.”
After two back-to-back opening nights in Dublin’s 3Arena, Girls Aloud will play two concerts at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Monday and Tuesday, before heading to the Manchester AO Arena from Thursday to Saturday.
In November, the group had to add six extra dates to their UK and Ireland 2024 arena tour due to “unprecedented demand” following ticket pre-sales.
Entertainment
P Diddy: ‘Gut-wrenching’ video appears to show Sean Combs assaulting singer Cassie in 2016
“Gut-wrenching” CCTV footage which appears to show Sean Combs attacking singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel “has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behaviour” of the rapper, her lawyer has said.
The 54-year-old, whose homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigations agents in March, has faced a series of public allegations of physical and sexual violence.
Footage obtained by CNN appears to show Combs – also known as P Diddy and Puff Daddy – wearing only a white towel as he punches and kicks Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway on 5 March 2016.
The R&B singer, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, was his protege and girlfriend at the time.
Pics: CNN via AP
Read more: What is Sean Combs accused of and what has he said?
The footage also shows Combs shoving and dragging her across the floor, as well as throwing a vase in her direction.
It closely resembles the description of an incident at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles described in a lawsuit filed by Cassie in November that alleged years of sexual abuse and other violence from Combs.
The case was settled the day after it was filed.
Sean Combs and Cassie in 2017. Pic: PA
Several more lawsuits were filed in the following months, along with a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation that led authorities to raid Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami.
Representatives for Combs did not immediately comment on the video. He has previously denied the allegations in the lawsuits and his lawyers have said he denies any wrongdoing.
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P Diddy’s homes raided
Cassie’s lawyer said: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behaviour of Mr Combs.
“Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
According to NBC News, Sky News’ US partner, if Cassie were to make a complaint the LAPD could investigate, but charges would likely be declined by the district attorney because California law has a one-year statute of limitations for assault and the alleged incident happened nearly eight years ago.
CNN did not say how it obtained the video, but noted it verified the location it was shot by comparing the footage to publicly available images of the InterContinental Hotel.
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