Irish Examiner view: Have you heard the one about Peter Kay? Well, he's a stand-up guy

We can't outdo the much-loved comedian's own words about his Irish tour: 'If there’s ever a time people need a laugh it’s now'

From his TV classic 'Phoenix Nights' to his stand-up shows, Peter Kay's brand of humour is what we all need right now. File picture: Peter Byrne/PA

What would you do if you entered the virtual waiting room of your favourite ticketing website to be told that there were 300,000 customers ahead of you in the queue? 

That was the experience of people trying to book for the shows of comic Peter Kay, the man who actually did say that he had “seen the future, and it’s garlic bread”. If only the cryptocurrency speculators had listened to him.

Peter Kay, from Bolton, who made his reputation in the Northern clubland comedy series Phoenix Nights, has had to increase the number of his performances to more than 100 starting this December with the majority running during 2023 and into 2024 and 2025. 

While millions have been scrambling for tickets, Kay, touring for the first time in five years, said that his popularity was driven by one simple reason: “If there’s ever a time people need a laugh it’s now.”

In 2003 Kay’s 'Mum Wants a Bungalow' tour was his breakthrough fulfilling 89 dates, but his follow-up in 2011, The Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour, entered the Guinness World Records as the most successful stand-up show ever, watched live by more than 1.2m people over its run.

His mother, Deirdre, is from Coalisland, Co Tyrone, and he has scheduled appearances in Belfast and Dublin as part of his comeback. Get those smiles ready for a class act.