Peter Kay has taken a swipe at Matt Hancock in a thank you message to his fans after astronomical ticket sales.
The legendary Bolton-born comedian and actor has taken to social media to express his gratitude to everyone who has bought at ticket to see his upcoming tour, but while he was at it, also took the chance to chip in with his thoughts on the former Health Secretary and his highly-publicised current stint on the ITV reality competition show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
In case you somehow missed it, Greater Manchester – and much of the UK, to be honest – went into a bit of a meltdown last week when Peter Kay announced that he is to play a whole slew of huge Manchester shows from next month as he makes a return to live comedy on his first stand-up tour in 12 years.
Rumours began circulating that the 49-year-old was preparing for a 2023 comeback tour earlier this year, but it was first confirmed that Kay will be doing two massive shows at the AO Arena on Friday 2 & Saturday 3 December 2022.
After that, the comic will head on over to Birmingham to close out 2022, before making his way across the rest of the UK and Ireland in 2023.
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Peter Kay announces his first new live stand-up tour in 12 years!
Due to the absolutely overwhelming demand to see the comedy legend take to the stage for the first time in over a decade, with hundreds of thousands of people in online queues and tickets being snapped-up almost instantly when they went on sale this past Saturday morning, Kay decided to keep adding extra dates to the tour schedule to give all fans the chance to catch his comeback moment.
It may have just started out as two humble shows, but now, Kay is set to play a total of 42 gigs just at the AO Arena alone – running from December 2022 until May 2025.
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Sales for this tour have also significantly surpassed the record Kay back in 2010 too, where he played to more than 1.2 million in a single tour.
The comedian says he is “absolutely blown away” by ticket sales.
In a thank you message to his fans, Kay said on Twitter: “Absolutely blown away by the ticket sales so far, especially as some of the shows aren’t for a good while yet, but don’t worry, we’ll have a laugh when we’re all together.
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“Much love, Peter.”
That wasn’t all Kay had to say in his message though, as he made sure to sign-off by saying “P.S. Matt Hancock is a proper b***end.”
Matt Hancock, who was the former Health Secretary for a large majority of the COVID-19 pandemic between 2018-2021, and has also held a number of other senior roles in the UK government throughout his career, is currently causing a stir as a contestant on I’m A Celebrity…
Matt Hancock on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! / Credit: ITV
Since entering the jungle, Hancock has faced all the Bushtucker Trials he has been eligible for, and has been the subject of much discussion, controversy, and questioning from both within the camp by his campmates and on the outside world on social media.
Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
“But with simple guidance and the right tools, we believe everyone can rediscover the joy and simplicity of homemade meals.”
Featured Image – gpointstudio (via Freepik)
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New Hairy Bikers documentary to take viewers on ’emotional journey’ in tribute to Dave Myers
Emily Sergeant
A new documentary paying an emotional tribute to late Hairy Biker Dave Myers is set to air on the BBC in the run up to Christmas.
Dave Myers – who was most well-known for being one half of the famous Hairy Bikers duo that starred in the BBC cookery and travel show of the same name, alongside Si King – died earlier this year (28 February 2024) after revealing back in May 2022 that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
The final Hairy Bikers episode aired on 19 March following Dave’s passing, and viewers tuned in in their tens of thousands to watch the beloved show that had been entertaining the masses for close to two decades.
🏍️ Si King celebrates the life of fellow Hairy Biker and best friend Dave Myers in a special one-off BBC documentary
Si picks out key moments from the past 25 years of the pair's TV careers in The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone
But despite that being the final episode with Dave involved, there’s still one last chapter left to tell.
Set to air on BBC Two on Monday 23 December, viewers will be invited on an “emotional journey” through the Hairy Bikers story with Si King, as he celebrates the life of his best mate and former TV partner.
The documentary follows Si as he leads a motorcycle convoy to Dave’s hometown of Barrow-in-Furness, while archive material, new interviews, and previously-unseen footage is shown to help celebrate Dave’s life.
A new Hairy Bikers documentary will take viewers on an ’emotional journey’ in tribute to Dave Myers / Credit: BBC / South Shore Productions
You can relive the journey that took Dave around the world while cooking up a storm as one of television’s greatest-ever double acts.
“I’m incredibly proud of the programme because it’s a tribute to my best mate,” Si King said.
“It was an amazing experience, I didn’t quite know what to expect. That was the whole thing, none of us did. We thought at the most we’d get 10,000 bikes, we didn’t dream it would be 46,000 motorcycles and a 30-mile tail, it was just insane. I just felt enormously privileged.”
Emily Sergeant -
14th November 2022 
