Peter Kay has cancelled his tour of Britain and Ireland, which would have seen him perform more than 100 gigs, citing family circumstances.
The comedian and actor had only announced the tour, which was due to begin in April next year and run through to summer 2019, last month. On Wednesday, he said on Twitter:
“Due to unforeseen family circumstances, I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects.
“This unfortunately includes my upcoming standup tour, Dance for Life shows and any outstanding live work commitments.
“My sincerest apologies. This decision has not been taken lightly and I’m sure you’ll understand my family must always come first.”
He appealed for privacy, saying he had always endeavoured to protect his family from publicity.
Statement from Peter Kay: pic.twitter.com/gYhZkq12Q1
— Peter Kay (@peterkay_co_uk) December 13, 2017
The tour would have been Kay’s first for seven years. His previous standup show, in 2010, The Tour That Didn’t Tour, earned him a Guinness World Record after 1.2 million people watched him perform across his shows.
The Have Gags, Will Travel tour was to see the Phoenix Nights and Car Share star perform in London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Belfast, Glasgow and Dublin. He was also due to DJ at Dance for Life events, in aid of Cancer Research UK.
Announcing his live dates last month, Kay said: “I really miss it. I know how lucky I am to be making television series and have really loved these past few years working on Car Share, but I miss doing standup.
“As terrifying as it is, when it works there’s nothing more fun and exciting. Plus, a lot has happened in the last eight years, with Trump, Twitter and my Nan getting her front bush trimmed at the age of 96.”
As well as holding the record for the most successful ever standup tour, the Bolton comic also boasts the biggest selling British standup DVD of all time. He initially grabbed the record with Live at the Bolton Albert Halls before breaking it with his follow-up DVD, Mum Wants a Bungalow.
