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.
Manchester crowned UK’s best-value stag do destination for 2026
Emily Sergeant
Prague, Amsterdam, Benidorm, and now… Manchester?
Jetting off to some of Europe’s cheapest capital cities for a boozy night out with your mates before tying the knot is pretty common-place in the world of stag do culture nowadays.
But some new research has now revealed the UK cities that deliver a legendary last hurrah without the price tag, or the need to hop on a plane.
Chillisauce, the UK’s leading hen and stag organiser, has analysed 81,000+ recent group bookings alongside survey feedback from 4,738 stag groups, cross-referenced against live 2026 travel fares, accommodation, and pint prices.
To devise its top 10 list, real price data has been blended with verified group satisfaction to guarantee stags and their pals the best experience.
With the pull of a major city with music, sport, food, and nightlife without London prices, Manchester was crowned the best-value city for a stag do in 2026 overall.
Manchester has been crowned the UK’s best-value stag do destination for 2026 / Credit: Manchester City Council | shawnanggg (via Unsplash)
The average pint runs a little higher in Manchester than the smaller cities on the list, but groups rated the sheer scale and quality of the night out well above the cost, calling it ‘much more affordable than the South of England’ and ‘cheaper than London’.
For a weekend in Manchester, research found that the average cost per person includes £86.36 for accommodation, £36.66 for an activity, £25.08 for a drinks package, £29.35 for a meal, and the average pint coming in at £6.
“We send thousands of groups to Prague, Amsterdam, and Benidorm every year,” said Robyn Davis, Head of Stag and Hen at Chillisauce,”but Manchester keeps delivering nights out that groups tell us beat their expectations.
“There are also those only-in-Manchester touches too, like catching a match at Old Trafford or the Etihad on the same trip.
“Groups describe the locals as up for a laugh and the whole city as ‘built for a stag weekend,’ with a huge number of them already planning to go back, which is the real test of a great destination.”
Other northern destinations on the top 10 list include Newcastle, Leeds, and Liverpool.
Manchester furniture outlet LOFT is hosting a major closing-down sale with up to 70% off
Emily Sergeant
Manchester furniture outlet LOFT is hosting a major closing-down sale with up to 70% off.
Okay, so it’s not technically closing down per se, but the current LOFT premises off Hyde Road near Piccadilly will officially close doors on 30 September, as the business consolidates its operations and relocates to its newly completed headquarters over at Trafford Park.
Unlike a typical closing-down sale, the stock isn’t old or unwanted. Instead, it’s a live snapshot of LOFT’s day-to-day business, and everything must go.
LOFT is known for furnishing properties across the build-to-rent, student accommodation, co-living, private rented, and social housing sectors, and that constant turnover naturally generates surplus – whether it be project overstock, end-of-line pieces or discontinued items making way for new collections.
The move over to Trafford Park is said to be a moment to clear the warehouse ‘completely’ and start the new chapter with a clean slate.
Manchester furniture outlet LOFT is hosting a major closing-down sale with up to 70% off / Credit: Supplied
This means that everything, from sofas and beds, to dining sets, armchairs, and home accessories, must go before the move, with prices already reduced by 50 to 70% below RRP.
Benjamin Hall, who is the Founder and CEO of LOFT, says this is the ‘biggest and best value’ sale the company has ever offered.
He explained: “As we settle into our new home at Trafford Park, we want a completely clean slate. Whether you’re a homeowner after a one-off bargain, or a landlord, agent or developer furnishing multiple units on a budget, there has never been a better time to visit.”
Emily Sergeant -
14th November 2022 
