Gossip website pays out

Online gossip website Holy Moly! has been forced to apologise for calling Peter Kay a gag thief.

Kay’s lawyers swung into action after the site last month alleged that comic had a poor reputation among fellow comedians for stealing their material.

And today Holy Moly! backed down, publishing an apology and revealing it was paying Kay’s legal costs and making a donation to charity to compensate.

Its weekly email bulletin distributed today said: ‘In our mailout on Friday November 30, we carried a piece entitled That Joker Isn’t Funny Any More, which falsely alleged that Peter Kay has paid other acts as compensation for stealing their material, and that the comedy circuit have given him the nickname The Gag-Pie for stealing anything comedic that glitters.’

‘We fully accept that the allegations were entirely untrue and without foundation. We apologise unreservedly to Peter Kay and have agreed to pay his legal costs and make a donation to a charity of his choice.’

Published: 21 Dec 2007