Beloved comedian Peter Kay has candidly discussed his significant weight loss for the first time, detailing a lifelong battle with binge eating that saw him 'try everything' to get healthy.
The Turning Point for Health
The 52-year-old funnyman, who returned to the spotlight last year after a five-year absence with a noticeably slimmer frame, explained the change was driven by mounting health concerns. Speaking at an 'In Conversation With...' event hosted by Sara Cox at The Lowry theatre in Salford, Kay revealed the extent of his efforts.
'I tried everything. Good God in heaven,' he said. 'You go to flaming weight-loss groups and stuff like that. I joined Slimming World and WeightWatchers. I did all of them.' His attempts also included gym sessions and even following his mother's old Rosemary Connelly keep-fit videos.
A Lifelong Struggle with Binge Eating
Kay shared a pivotal moment that highlighted his binge eating problem. While on a diet and at the cinema with his wife Susan, he sneaked out under the pretence of going to the toilet, only to buy a hotdog. '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 stark illustration of his compulsion, he admitted throwing the hotdog away, only to grab it back from the bin just before it hit the liner and eat it anyway. He traced his unhealthy relationship with food back to childhood, recalling his mother bringing pies for him to eat at primary school.
Charity Tour and This Morning Moment
The interview comes after Kay recently appeared on ITV's This Morning with hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard to discuss his ongoing tour, 'Better Late Than Never'. He revealed all proceeds are being donated to twelve cancer charities, including the Teenage Cancer Trust and Blood Cancer UK.
The segment went viral when Kay gently called out presenter Cat Deeley's habit of repeatedly saying 'yes' or 'yeah' as he listed the charities. 'I'm not laughing at bowel cancer,' he chuckled, 'it's because she keeps saying, "yeah".' Co-host Ben Shephard jumped in, calling it 'active listening', while viewers on social media celebrated Kay for mentioning the habit.
Peter Kay's honest discussion marks a significant moment, shifting the focus from his physical transformation to the serious underlying health struggle that prompted it.
