Comic threw out hecklers from Manchester's AO Arena

Peter Kay fans have turned on the comedian after what was described as a ‘chaotic’ performance in Manchester on Saturday.

The comedian had two hecklers thrown out of the AO Arena – including one man who was said to be shouting his catchphrase 'garlic bread’ multiple times.Audience members told how Kay had the venue lights turned on, pulled up a chair on stage and directed his security to remove the man as well as his friends.

Another woman was said to be thrown out for yelling: ‘We love you.’ Witnesses said Kay subsequently made jokes about the woman’s weight, comparing her to Emmerdale star Lisa Riley, as she was led out of the venue. 

One person wrote on Twitter: ‘I’ve lost a lot of respect for [Peter Kay] after the way he treated a heckler at the end of his Manchester 8 Feb show, having him removed by force by his entourage and cracking jokes about it over the 3-4 mins it took. No manners. Huge waste of money.

Another said: ‘Was embarrassing, the guy only shouted garlic bread and the woman just shouted we love you Peter, waited 20 years to see him and was disappointed’, while a third said the woman was ‘very harshly treated’. Others said they felt ‘uncomfortable’ at the exchange.

One punter said the hecklers ‘weren’t annoying ay hall’ with another saying the man shouted ‘garlic bread’ about four times and added that Kay ‘should have handled the situation better’.

However, other punters seems happy with the show, posting comments such as ‘Went to see Peter Kay tonight in Manchester. Not laughed so much in ages!'

The negative comments were picked up by MailOnline, which also said that an impression of a  blind person and a joke about erections and depression ‘offended fans’.

One woman told the website: ‘The whole thing just feels very nasty and bitter. His performance was poor but the way he dealt with one heckler and someone shouting "we love you" was ridiculous. My friend and I left the show after that, half an hour early. Others left the show early too.’

Kay had been out of the spotlight for almost five years before launching this mammoth tour in December 2022, which is set to net him a seven-figure sum.

Chortle has contacted Peter Kay's publicist for comment about Saturday’s gig.

Published: 10 Feb 2025