Beloved comedian Peter Kay has candidly discussed his significant weight loss for the first time, revealing a lifelong struggle with binge eating that led him to try and fail at popular slimming groups. The star, who made a triumphant return to the stage last year after a mysterious five-year absence, opened up about his health journey during a recent live event.
The Health Wake-Up Call
Speaking at an 'In Conversation With...' event hosted by Sara Cox at The Lowry in Salford, which aired on BBC Radio 2, Kay explained that concerns for his wellbeing finally prompted a change. When asked if he had ever tried to lose weight, the 50-year-old responded: 'Only for the first 48 years of my life.' He added, 'Yeah I had to, eventually, because you start thinking about your health and things like that, don't you?'
The Bolton-born funnyman detailed his numerous attempts to get a grip on his weight, which included joining Slimming World and WeightWatchers groups in his hometown, as well as gym sessions and following his mum's Rosemary Conley fitness videos. '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,' he admitted.
A Lifelong Battle with Binge Eating
Peter Kay pinpointed a pivotal moment of self-realisation about his binge eating problem. He described sneaking out of a cinema while watching a film with his wife, Susan, under the pretence of going to the toilet. He left the screening to buy a hotdog, despite being on a diet at the time. 'I caught a glimpse of myself reflected in, ironically, a framed poster for Babe,' he recalled. 'I thought, look at you - what are you doing? You're doing really well on this diet, you should be ashamed of yourself.'
In a telling admission of his struggle, Kay confessed that even after throwing the hotdog away, he retrieved it from the bin just before it hit the liner and ate it anyway. He traced his problematic relationship with food back to childhood, recalling how his mother would bring pies to his primary school for him to eat.
From Sudden Exit to Triumphant Return
Kay's revelations follow a period of intense public curiosity about his whereabouts and appearance. In 2017, he shocked fans by abruptly cancelling his much-anticipated comeback tour, citing 'unforeseen family circumstances.' He then retreated from public life for five years, with speculation about his absence running rife. He was rarely pictured, and even the promotional material for his 2022 comeback tour featured an older photo from before his weight loss.
His return was announced in November 2022, marking his first tour in 12 years. It includes a monthly residency at London's O2 Arena. The mammoth tour is scheduled to run until February 2026, and Kay recently revealed that 100% of profits from his 2026 shows will be donated to 12 cancer charities.
During an appearance on This Morning last week, Kay made a light-hearted comment about his transformation when a pre-weight loss tour poster was shown. 'Oh I've lost some weight since that happened,' he remarked, with host Ben Shephard replying, 'Haven't you just.'
Peter Kay first found fame on Channel 4's The Services, followed by the spoof documentary series That Peter Kay Thing. He achieved national treasure status with the hit sitcom Phoenix Nights, where he played club owner Brian Potter. The show's success led to a spin-off, Max & Paddy's Road To Nowhere, co-starring his old school friend Paddy McGuinness. His 2015 sitcom Peter Kay's Car Share broke the BBC iPlayer record for the most popular box set at the time. Continued sales of his DVDs, which have sold over ten million copies, have cemented his place as one of Britain's most successful comedians.
