Peter Kay ‘ejects heckler’ from stand-up show over garlic bread

Peter Kay’s comeback tour descended into chaos on Saturday after the Bolton comedian was apparently forced to eject a ‘garlic bread’ heckler. The TV funnyman, 51, was on stage at Manchester’s AO Arena when a man in the audience apparently began repeatedly shouting ‘garlic bread!’ at him. Kay is currently in the middle of his Better Late Than Never (Again) tour, which is an extension of his Better Late Than Never tour that started in 2022.

The Phoenix Nights star has returned to the stage after a hiatus of almost six years, following the abrupt cancellation of his planned 2018 tour Have Gags, Will Travel. ‘Garlic bread!’ is one of Kay’s famous catchphrases and has followed him around almost since the very beginning of his comedy career. But it seems the Car Share actor’s old stand-up material came back to haunt him during a ‘chaotic’ show in Manchester on Saturday night.

Witnesses to the incident claimed that a man towards the front of the audience at the AO Arena began repeatedly shouting ‘garlic bread!’ at high volume. It was then reported that, during one of Kay’s routines midway through the live show, a woman nearby shouted that she ‘loved’ Kay and disrupted the show further. Those in the audience then said that Kay stopped his routine to ask the audience if the two hecklers were beginning to get on their nerves.

When the audience shouted back to Kay that they were indeed irritated by the unexpected interruptions, the noisy pair were swiftly ejected by security. As the pair were being escorted out, Kay is reported to have said ‘Go on, off you go, Lisa Riley’ – comparing the woman to the former Emmerdale actress and You’ve Been Framed presenter. However, while the majority of fans were on the comedian’s side, one audience member gave a different assessment of the situation (via MailOnline).

‘[It] 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.’. More reports from Saturday night’s show indicated that the man shouting ‘garlic bread’ began heckling after asking the audience for suggestions on a theme tune for his act. At first, Kay is said to have seen the funny side but became increasingly impatient when the continued shouts of ‘garlic bread’ began to disrupt later parts of his act.

The man shouting was ejected with a group of his friends after Kay apparently brought the house lights up inside the arena – a move some viewers deemed to be ‘nasty and bitter’. By the end of the Better Late Than Never (Again) tour, the actor and stand-up star will have played 205 dates up and down the UK over the course of four calendar years. His residency at the O2 Arena in London sold out 45 nights, making him the only act in the world to have ever achieved such a feat.

Metro.co.uk has approached Peter Kay’s representatives for comment. Got a story?. If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you. Arrow MORE: ‘Let’s be honest, Mock the Week used to be nothing but a d**k-swinging boys club’.