Peter Kay’s disastrous date put him in hospital but led to 23-year marriage
After years of lying low, Peter Kay is on a huge arena tour - just seven years on from cancelling his £40million tour in December 2017, citing "unforeseen family circumstances".
The beloved funnyman first returned to the stage in August 2021 for two special charity events to raise money for Laura Nuttall, a then 20-year-old with an aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme, who sadly died last year.
After that, in December 2022, the comedian was brought to tears after he received a rapturous standing ovation which lasted several minutes when he appeared on stage for his first live comedy tour in twelve years.
Peter Kay is reportedly set to reveal plans for a huge comeback tour (GETTY)Back in 2017, he told fans: "I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects," he told concerned fans, insisting he needed to prioritise his family.
"My sincerest apologies. This decision has not been taken lightly and I’m sure you'll understand my family must always come first," he added.
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"I've always endeavoured to protect my family's privacy from the media. I hope that the media and public will continue to respect our privacy at this time. Once again, I'm very sorry."
Indeed, his family has always been at the centre of Peter's heart. He met his wife Susan Gargan 26-years ago at a club in their hometown of Bolton, and Susan agreed to go on a date with him the very next evening.
Back then, Peter worked at a local cinema while Susan worked at a Boots pharmacy.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing for the pair.
Their second date at Blackburn Ice Arena ended in disaster, or more specifically a trip to the Accident and Emergency room.
Peter said he and Susan spent 'the bulk of the evening' in casualty after he slipped and sustained a serious injury.
Revealing all in That Peter Kay Book, he wrote: “I took a girlfriend ice skating once on our second date and I fell and broke my arm in two places.
"Luckily the whole disaster worked out for the best as the girl took pity on my incompetence and eventually she married me.”
Peter Kay and his wife Susan have been married since 2001 (Getty Images)After the mishap, the couple carried on dating for the next three years before tying the knot in 2001.
They welcomed their first child together, Charlie Michael Kay, later that year.
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Their firstborn's name is a sweet tribute to both Peter and Susan's fathers.
Speaking to the Mirror about becoming a dad shortly after Charlie's birth, Peter acknowledged how his life had shifted.
"Fatherhood has changed me - it has to change you.
Peter Kay arriving for a gig in 2022"It makes you much more aware of the minutiae of life, it's not about your needs any more, it's about everyone else's."
Peter has kept his other offspring out of the limelight and never revealed their names.
Explaining his reasoning he said: "I'm actually shy and my salvation is coming home and being normal.
"My children are still young and I want to be at home with them."
After Peter retreated from the spotlight, it was reported he and his family had made a temporary move to his bolthole in Tipperary, Ireland, where locals claimed he seemed determined to fly under the radar.
One local resident told The Sun: “Peter clearly wanted to keep a low profile and did everything he could to avoid attracting attention to himself while staying here.
Peter Kay is back on the road (PA)“You’d never see him in the local pubs or restaurants, and he always seemed to be alone. Most people only ever saw him passing through."
However, his expensive Range Rover apparently blew his cover, with the insider adding: "Everyone saw him coming a mile off because of that Range Rover. If he didn’t want to be noticed, he definitely picked the wrong car to drive around in.”
Peter's mum Deirdre hails from Coalisland in Co Tyrone, and in November 2017 the notoriously private star opened up about his secluded second home, telling The Late Late Show: “I don’t talk about it because I don’t want it to get robbed. We’ve had a house here for 12 years.
“We come here all the time. Whenever there’s a school holiday, really. We give Christmas a miss because the house is freezing. It takes ages to warm up.”
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