Peter Kay’s weight loss journey as comic addresses his slimmer frame

He’s a household name who has broken records with his comedy ventures over the years. 

So fans were shocked in 2017 when Peter Kay abruptly cancelled his tour, only to return to the spotlight last year sporting a much slimmer frame.

After his five-year absence the star has rarely been pictured, and even the promo for his comeback tour featured a picture of him before the weight loss. 

However, now after a handful of interviews, Peter has made a tentative return to the spotlight and has opened up about his changing shape for the first time. 

Peter revealed that he tried and failed at local Slimming World and WeightWatchers groups in Bolton as he attempted to deal with his binge eating problem. 

Speaking about his new look at an In Conversation With… event hosted by Sara Cox at The Lowry theatre in Salford, which aired on BBC Radio 2 on Monday night, Peter said he had finally made the change over concerns for his health.

Asked directly if he had ever tried to lose weight he responded: ‘Only for the first 48 years of my life. Yeah I had to, eventually, because you start thinking about your health and things like that, don’t you? 

‘I tried everything. Good God in heaven. I mean, you go to flaming weight-loss groups and stuff like that. I joined Slimming World and WeightWatchers. I did all of them.’

Peter also tried gym sessions to his mum’s Rosemary Conley keep fit videos in a desperate bid to get a grip on his weight. 

He reflected on the key moment that made him realise he had a binge eating problem after sneaking out of the cinema where he was watching a film with his wife Susan.

Peter described how he lied about going to the toilet only to leave the screening to eat a hotdog: ‘I was doing really well with this diet, but I’m so bad with willpower. I had this hotdog and I caught a glimpse of myself reflected in, ironically, a framed poster for Babe.

‘I thought, look at you – what are you doing? You’re doing really well on this diet, you should be ashamed of yourself.’

He added that as he threw it into the bin he grabbed it back just before it hit the binliner and still ate it.

Peter went on to explain that his bad eating habits date back to when he was a child – with his mother bringing him in pies to primary school for him to eat.

The star devastated fans in 2017 when he announced that he would be cancelling his long-awaited comeback tour due to ‘unforeseen family circumstances’.

The comedian then noticeably retreated from the spotlight for five years following the cancellation.

At the time speculation was rife among fans about the reason for his absence, with Peter’s social media also plunged into silence until March 2018, when he return to announce a charity screening of Peter Kay’s Car Share.

The event was held to raise money for The Lily Foundation, which helps children with mitochondrial disease, and in a post on his blog, Peter detailed how he had ‘first hand’ experience of the charity’s work.

Peter then completely disappeared from public life for a year, and reportedly relocated to Tipperary, Ireland, where locals claimed he seemed determined to fly under the radar.

Then in November 2022, Peter delighted the nation by announcing he would be returning to touring for the first time in 12 years, including a monthly residency at London’s O2 Arena.

Taking to the stage for his first night in Manchester in December 2022, Peter was moved to tears as he received a standing ovation from the audience that lasted several minutes.

The mammoth tour will run until February 2026 and last week Peter revealed that 100 per cent of profits from his 2026 shows will go to 12 cancer charities.

Appearing on This Morning last week to promote his final shows, Peter commented on his weight loss as they flashed up a poster promoting his live tour which included a snap of him pre-weight loss.

Seeing it on the screen he said: ‘Oh I’ve lost some weight since that happened,’ as host Ben Shephard added: ‘Haven’t you just.’ 

Peter’s first break on television was in The Services – set in a service station outside Bolton – for Channel 4. 

It was followed by the spoof documentary series That Peter Kay Thing, and then the highly successful Phoenix Nights, in which Kay played wheelchair-bound Brian Potter, owner of The Phoenix Club in Bolton.

Phoenix Nights was followed by the spin-off Max & Paddy’s Road To Nowhere, about the club’s bouncers.

His co-star was his old school friend, Paddy McGuinness. Kay co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in the show, and there were mutterings that he was controlling and demanding.

Continued sales of his DVDs – which have sold more than ten million copies – and another tour in 2010 helped to keep the money pouring in.