Peter Kay Pauses London Show to Address “Noisy” Attendees
Comedian Peter Kay briefly halted his performance at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday evening to caution “disruptive” audience members. He warned that security personnel would remove them if their behaviour persisted. This incident follows earlier controversy this year when Kay ejected a heckler from a show and made a comparison involving actress Lisa Riley.
Comedian Addresses Disruptive Fans at O2 Arena
Referencing the previous incident with a touch of humour, Kay addressed two individuals creating a disturbance. He reportedly joked, “Is it them in that box? Right then, what are we going to do with you? Do any of you in this area look like Lisa Riley? No, alright.”
The 51-year-old then engaged the wider audience, asking them to indicate if the two fans were indeed being disruptive by raising their hands. According to reports, Kay stated: “I’m not getting involved this time… I’m going to leave it to the security team to go up there and sort it out. Nah, you can carry on, but if you’re boisterous, you’re going home early… you naughty boys.”
Audience Member Account of Events
Following the show, a fellow audience member informed a media outlet that a “disagreement” had broken out within the crowd, leading to audible disruptions.
The audience member stated: “Peter intervened as the crowd was audibly reacting to some disagreement. He joked about ejecting them, then delegated the situation to his security. He did, however, mention it a further two times during the performance as they continued shouting, at one point comparing it to a ‘boot sale’. It appeared that audience members in the vicinity wanted security to remove the disruptive individuals due to the ongoing commotion.”
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Recalling Previous Heckler Incident
In February, Kay instructed security to remove two hecklers due to their “repeated interruptions” which he stated made it “impossible to continue” the show. He also requested the removal of a woman who persistently called out his name, comparing her to Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley.
During the event at the AO Arena in Manchester, Kay reportedly said: “Oh Christ almighty… I love Saturdays. Is he gone now? Alright, love I’ve heard you. Take her out and all while you’re up there will you? Take her out. Go on, you’ve missed the ending and everything, what a shame with your f***ing big gob… Out you go. Go on, Lisa Riley, f*** off. Go on. Out you pop flower, go on. See ya.”
Heckler’s Reaction and Kay’s Explanation
Myar Curran, the 25-year-old woman involved in the February incident, expressed her displeasure, stating to a news source that she felt “annoyed and upset” by Kay’s comparison. She added: “The whole arena was laughing, I think they thought it was part of the show but there was a nastiness to his voice. It was like he was trying to turn the crowd against me – it just wasn’t nice, to be honest.”
Responding to criticism of his comment, Kay stated on a breakfast television show: “I didn’t realise it was an insult. She did look remarkably like Lisa Riley. I didn’t realise that was an insult.”
He further clarified his position, stating: “There comes a point when simply dealing with repeated hecklers isn’t sufficient. It’s not something you ever want to do but it reaches a stage where it’s no longer fair to everyone else around.”
Lisa Riley’s Positive Response
Amidst the public discussion, Lisa Riley quickly addressed the situation, indicating she was not offended by the remarks. Days after the initial incident, she shared an image online with the caption: “Keep calm and laugh,” adding: “It’s a laugh, it’s funny!”
In a subsequent online message to her followers, Riley urged: “Please move on from this now. I am not offended, and never have been offended. I love Peter Kay to pieces. Laughter is my favourite medicine.”
Riley later demonstrated her support by attending one of Kay’s performances and sharing a photograph with him. She wrote online: “THANK YOU so so so much Peter for the most fantastic night last night… we laughed until it hurt – the show is absolutely hilarious. We were up until way past midnight repeating all the jokes – northern humour at its absolute best.”