PETER Kay has come a long way from his working-class roots in Bolton.
Here’s everything you need to know about the comedian who delighted fans with a comeback rendition of Amarillo on The Big Night In on April 23, 2020, performing for the first time after a two-year hiatus.
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When did Peter Kay first perform Amarillo?
The comedian made his first public appearance in two years on the Children in Need and Comic Relief charity evening The Big Night In on April 23, 2020, recreating his Amarillo video, 15 years after his hit version.
Peter’s original version, a cover of Tony Christie’s 1971 single, was the best-selling song of 2005 in the UK, spending seven weeks at No1.
The funny video featured stars including Brian May, Michael Parkinson, Paddy McGuinness, Mr Blobby and Ronnie Corbett.
A post on his Peter’s Facebook page called for volunteers to get involved in the new version, asking for people to film themselves dancing along to the original track.
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The post read: “To be in with a chance of making it into his final video, we’re looking for people to film themselves marching and dancing to the original track.”
The comedian filmed a sketch for The Big Night In event, sat in his Bolton garden whilst enjoying an ice lolly.
Reminiscing about the love for his 2005 Amarillo sketch, which saw him and a host of celeb guests mime the Tony Christie song, he revealed: “I thought what a perfect time to recreate it again, so we’ve asked a lot of you to film yourselves and send it in.
“Take care and enjoy yourselves”
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What is Peter Kay’s net worth?
Having started his career as a stand-up comedian, Peter Kay, 46, has branched out into various other areas of TV over the years.
He has written screenplays such as Phoenix Nights and more recently the smash hit Car Share – produced, directed and has had a variety of acting jobs.
The funnyman also has three books under his belt and was named the 46th most influential person in British culture in a 2004 poll for the BBC.
All of these gigs and public notoriety have amounted to a reportedly sizeable net worth of around £50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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Is Peter Kay married?
Peter Kay married Susan Gargan in 2001 after three years of dating.
They met while Kay was working at a cinema and she was a cashier at Boots in their hometown of Bolton.
The couple have a son together, Charlie Michael Kay, named after Susan’s late father.
It is reported that Peter has two other children – and in interviews he frequently refers to more than one child – but they have been kept out of the spotlight completely.
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What is Car Share?
Car Share is a British comedy about two workers in a supermarket who car pool to and from work together.
Kay wrote and starred in the show which ran for two series on BBC One.
The two-hander won the award for best comedy at the 2016 National Television Awards, as well as the BAFTA TV Awards for Best Male Comedy Performance and Best Scripted Comedy that same year.
His co-star in the series, Sian Gibson, also helped write both series of the show which pulled in a staggering 5.5 million viewers for its final episode.
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‘ave it
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WHAT A NIGHT
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BIG HIT IN
Peter Kay will reunite with CGI Tony Christie to sing Amarillo on Big Night In
SPECIAL KAY
Peter Kay recreating Amarillo video after 15 years for BBC’s Big Night In
Class act
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BEEP BEEP!
What you need to know about Peter Kay’s Car Share
Why did Peter Kay cancel his 2018 tour?
After eight years away from the stage Peter Kay announced he was coming back with another live tour.
The comedian said he would be “returning to his most successful hobby – stand-up”.
However, on December 13 2017, he announced that all the dates will be cancelled.
In a statement on Twitter, he wrote: “Due to unforeseen family circumstances, I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects.
“My sincerest apologies. This decision has not been taken lightly and I’m sure you’ll understand my family must always come first.
“I’ve always endeavoured to protect my family’s privacy from the media. I hope that the media and public will continue to respect our privacy at this time. Once again, I’m very sorry.”
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In March 2020, Peter was forced to postpone his long-awaited comeback Dance For Life events due to the coronavirus crisis.
The comedian announced the shows will go ahead at a later date.
He wrote: “Obviously this is disappointing news but well and truly justified given the circumstances.
“We’ll get through this, together and then we’ll all have a great big dance for life. “Stay safe and look after yourselves and the people around you.” It was a further blow to fans who were left devastated when Peter pulled out of his UK tour three years ago for “family reasons”.