Peter Kay tribute act, Simon Mark, has died as heartfelt condolences pour in for the much-loved performer. Taking to Facebook, announcing the sad news today, a statement read: "It is with heavy heart that last night Simon fell asleep and didn’t wake up! We all know how loved he was by all, and the fantastic memories we all had with him.". Explaining that the cause of the star's death is as yet unknown, the post continued: "I know this is a massive shock to everyone and he will be deeply missed. At this moment in time we don’t know how, what happened or why. Fly high Si. We love you!".
Simon, who was the image of Peter, toured the UK and Europe and quickly established himself as one of the UK's best tributes to the Bolton-born comedian. His YouTube channel says his act includes many of Kay's catchphrases, including the iconic: 'Garlic Bread' and adds: "Simon really does have Peter Kay down to a tee". Following the news of his death, many of Simon's fans have paid tribute and thanked him for making them laugh over the years. Comedian, Marc Bolton, said: "I feel sick reading this [prayer emoji]. We only spoke the other day. Sending sincere heartfelt condolences to Stacey and all Simon’s family and here’s the the wonderful memories we made last year on tour. God bless my brother.".
Another wrote: "OMG, I’m so sorry. What a loss, he was simply one of the nicest people I’ve met! Sending so much love to you." Meanwhile, third shared: "Oh my God. So shocked. Fly high Si and keep them laughing up there. X". Simon had UK tour dates scheduled all the way up until December 2025. His official Facebook page welcomed in the new year in January with a post that read: "2024 has nearly come to an end and what a year it has been. From theatres on land to theatres at sea, pubs, clubs, holiday parks and hotels, to name a few, this year has been a mix which has been so good.".
The real Peter Kay has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons this week. During his homecoming gig in Manchester, he was slammed for calling an audience member, "Lisa Riley", before she was asked to leave the show for heckling. Meanwhile, another ticketholder was also frogmarched out of the theatre by the comic's burly security guard after repeating Peter's iconic catchphrase, 'garlic bread' during the star's live set.
Peter has since shared his account of the events in a statement on Instagram. In a lengthy post, he wrote: "At the show on Saturday night, February 8, in Manchester, I had two hecklers disrupting from the very start. I did my best to address the situation and made light of it as any comedian would, but unfortunately their interruptions continued. “I then tried to ignore them, hoping they’d settle down, but when the disruption persisted into the second half of the show, I asked the audience around them if they were being bothered by the noise.
“They all shouted ‘yes’ and when I asked for a show of hands at least 40 people raised theirs. At that point I had no choice but to take action. The lady who was escorted out did bear a striking resemblance to Lisa Riley, though I don’t see how that’s an insult.". Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads. Celeb obsessed? Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox.
