'How am I supposed to do bloody comedy now?'
Peter Kay has had an emotional return to the stage.
The comedian was moved to tears after receiving a standing ovation on Friday as he opened his first live tour in 12 years.
Kay received a rapturous applause from the audience that reportedly lasted several minutes, as fans also chanted his name.
The 49-year-old appeared overwhelmed, pausing to lean against a stool on stage before standing up and dabbing his eyes,
LBC reported.
"Oh Jesus look at me, I mean what's that all about... how am I supposed to do bloody comedy now?" he asked audiences, prompting the first laughs of the evening, the outlet reported.
He added: "Lovely Manchester you made me cry... where did it come from, all that emotion?"
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Friday's show at the Manchester AO Arena is the first in a mammoth arena tour spanning from December to August 2023.
Members of the audience from the show have since revealed that Kay's routine is as good and relatable as ever, with jokes focusing on ordinary topics that you might not think twice about until Kay points out just how ridiculous they are.
One fan, Olivia Matthews, told
BBC News there was "nothing too serious" in his routine, adding: "Everything's light-hearted. That's what we like about him. His last tour was 12 years ago and we were 10 or 11, so we're a new audience coming into it. I've always known him and always liked him, growing up. We've got to see his material, but never live."
Another member of the crowd, 63-year-old Paul Stokes, said Kay was "a little bit overwhelmed when he first came out", but assured the comedian was "excellent".
Deborah Evitt, from Manchester, added: "He's genuine. He's a genuine person. You could tell what he did on that stage, he did from the heart. That's why I enjoyed it."
Kay was supposed to go on tour in 2018, but it was called off due to "unforeseen family circumstances".
After Friday's gig, Kay heads to stadiums in Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Belfast, Newcastle, Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow, Cardiff and Nottingham.
Due to high demand, the comedian added a number of extra dates following the initial release.
The tour also includes a monthly residency at London's O2 arena set to run at least until February 2025.
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