Peter Kay has announced that he is to play two huge Manchester shows as he makes a return to live comedy on his first stand-up tour in 12 years.
This is not a drill.
It’s fair to say this has been a very long time coming, and it’s been heavily rumoured for many years on end now, but it’s finally a reality – Peter Kay is heading out on a stand-up tour of the UK for the first time in over a decade, and it’s happening much sooner than we were all probably expecting too.
Reports began circulating earlier this year that the legendary Bolton-born comedian and actor could finally be making his long-awaited return with a huge “comeback tour” in 2023, but it’s now been announced that the 49-year-old will be doing two massive shows at the AO Arena on Friday 2 & Saturday 3 December 2022.
He will then head on over to Birmingham for a huge show at the Birmingham Utilita Arena on Saturday 17 December 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!
After Kay was forced to cancel his last stand-up arena tour – which had sold out across all 100 scheduled gigs – back in 2017 due to what were said to be “unforeseen family circumstances”, he has largely remained out of the spotlight since and has left many fans questioning when he would be stepping on the stage again.
He had made a few notable stage appearances in recent years, including two Q&A sessions for the Doing it for Laura charity back in August – which were fundraisers organised for University of Manchester student Laura Nuttall, who was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme in October 2018.
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In recent months, Kay had also taken to the stage for his hugely-successful ‘Dance For Life’ tour – which raises money for Cancer Research UK.
But now, the star of Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere, and Peter Kay’s Car Share is officially back doing what he does best, and heading out on tour and gearing up to entertain over 1.2 million people.
Peter Kay Live 2022/23 Tour Dates / Credit: Supplied
Kay’s 2010 tour still officially ranks with the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest selling comedy tour of all time.
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“It’s good to get back to what I love doing best,” Kay said ahead of his return.
“If there’s ever a time people need a laugh it’s now. And with the cost of living at an all-time high, ticket prices are starting from £35, which is the same price they were on my previous tour in 2010.”
Tickets for Peter Kay’s nationwide tour start from £35, and will officially go on sale on Saturday 12 November at 10am.
Friday 2 December 2022 Manchester AO Arena Saturday 3 December 2022 Manchester AO Arena Saturday 17 December 2022 Birmingham Utilita Arena
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Friday 6 January 2023 Liverpool M&S Bank Arena Saturday 7 January 2023 Liverpool M&S Bank Arena Friday 20 January 2023 Leeds First Direct Arena Friday 17 February 2023 Sheffield Utilita Arena Thursday 23 February 2023 Belfast SSE Arena Friday 24 February 2023 Belfast SSE Arena Thursday 9 March 2023 Newcastle Utilita Arena Friday 10 March 2023 Newcastle Utilita Arena Thursday 23 March 2023 Birmingham Resorts World Arena Thursday 6 April 2023 Dublin 3Arena Friday 7 April 2023 Dublin 3Arena Friday 05 May 2023 Glasgow OVO Hydro Saturday 06 May 2023 Glasgow OVO Hydro Friday 19 May 2023 Leeds First Direct Arena Friday 16 June 2023 Cardiff International Arena Saturday 17 June 2023 Cardiff International Arena Friday 14 July 2023 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena Saturday 15 July 2023 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena Friday 11 August 2023 Sheffield Utilita Arena
Featured Image – BBC
News
Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s time to say a big hello, as rare bat-eared foxes have now arrived at Chester Zoo.
The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, and they are the first mammals of their kind to come to Chester Zoo in more than 30 years.
First images show the pair exploring their home in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – which officially opened to the public back in March, and is the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.
The adorable – but rather unique-looking – bat-eared fox is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is native to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
They live for around 13 years on average, and their characteristically large ears help regulate their body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to prey like detect insects moving underground.
The species faces increasing threats in the wild, largely due to the loss of their habitat caused by agriculture, human encroachment, and hunting.
This is why Chester Zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife.
Its teams’ have been supporting everything from the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking in recent years.
Bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in 30 years / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus,” commented David White, who is the Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme, helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.
Emily Sergeant -
6th November 2022 
