Peter Kay threatens to set security on hecklers weeks after Lisa Riley controversy

Independent

21-03-2025

Peter Kay has once again clashed heads with hecklers on his Better Late Than Never Again tour and threatened to set security on audience members during his performance at London's O2 Arena.
The comedian, 51, who was criticised earlier this year for comparing a heckling audience member to Emmerdale star Lisa Riley, joked about the backlash he faced during his set on Thursday (20 March).
Kay stopped his performance in the capital to address some noisy audience members seated in a box who were distracting the crowds around them from the comedian's set, per the Mirror.
Speaking to the crowd, Kay reportedly said: 'Is it them in that box? Is that them? Who is it? Eh, it's you monkeys there. Now then, what are we going to do with you now? These people in this area now, do any of you look like Lisa Riley? No, alright,' he joked, to audience laughter.
The comedian then jokingly dared the fan to jump from their box. 'Jump, go on. See if you bounce,' he reportedly said.
Kay then asked other audience members whether the people in the box were annoying them, with the crowds cheering to make it clear they were. 'So what are we going to do about this?' the comedian asked.
'I'm not getting involved this time. Please, the lovely people in that area, would you like to raise your hands if those gentlemen are p****ing you off.'
Distancing himself from the drama, Kay added: 'I'm going to leave it to the security team to go up there and sort it out,' before adding, 'Nah, you can carry on, but if you're rambunctious, you're going home early... you naughty boys.'
The Independent has contacted Kay's representatives for comment.
It comes after the comedian was criticised by fans attending his tour last month after he had two people removed for disrupting the show.
According to reports, Kay was left frustrated when a man repeatedly shouted his catchphrase 'garlic bread'.
An audience member claimed that, as security escorted the man out, a woman shouted, 'We love you, Peter' – after which the comedian asked security to remove her also.
Kay went on to refer to this woman as Lisa Riley, which audience members took to be a 'derogatory' comment about her weight.
The 25-year-old woman in question, Myar Curran, subsequently told reporters: 'I do feel he was on about my weight. I know Lisa Riley has lost a lot of weight and looks great but she used to be a bit bigger. I didn't used to be this big, I have put a bit of weight on, I've had a child.'
Following backlash to his comment, Kay told Good Morning Britain: 'I didn't realise it was an insult. She did look remarkably like Lisa Riley. I didn't realise that was an insult.'
Riley, who portrayed Mandy Dingle on Emmerdale between 1995 and 2001, shared a post on her Instagram page, which suggested that she saw the funny side to the situation.
Riley shared an image that read: 'Keep calm and laugh,' adding as a caption: 'It's a laugh, it's funny!'