Phoenix Nights co-star slates Kay
Fitzmaurice fumes over writing credits
Phoenix Nights star Neil Fitzmaurice has slated Peter Kay for overlooking his contribution to the show.The 39-year-old comic co-wrote the series with Kay and Dave Spikey, but when the scripts were published as a book, it was titled only Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights.
Kay also told Fitzmaurice, who played DJ Ray Von in the Channel 4 sitcom, never to speak about him.
Fitzmaurice, who also appeared in Peep Show, told the Daily Star Sunday: ‘Writing Phoenix Nights was an absolute joy… Unfortunately, it was destined to end in tears
‘Peter Kay and I haven’t spoken since 2001 but about three years ago he rang me out of the blue and asked me not to speak about him.
‘That’s Peter all over. The only way I can explain it is that people are affected by fame in different ways. It was basically about a lack of respect, a lack of recognition for me and Dave.
‘I wasn’t prepared to become an employee. It was never about that. It started out as three mates working together but Peter’s success took over.’
Published: 28 Dec 2008
