The Book That's More Than Just a Book - Book

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I bought and read this book in about 2008, even though I don't generally go for memoirs or biographies, as such (though I am aware that I've read a couple more; one was a biography on Kevin Costner)... Peter Kay said today: "I'd wanted for years to write about my obsession for TV and working in it. It's been such a massive pleasure recalling the adventures I've had over the last twenty-five years both in front and behind the camera, and I hope people will enjoy reading about the journey as much as I've enjoyed writing it." Susan and I had just had our first child, and all I wanted to do now was be with them both. Noddy said that he was from working-class roots and spent most of his early career chasing the money. He ended up being estranged from his children and deeply regretted his decisions. Peter Kay's unerring gift for observing the absurdities and eccentricities of family life has earned himself a widespread, everyman appeal. These vivid observations coupled with a kind of nostalgia that never fails to grab his audience's shared understanding, have earned him comparisons with Alan Bennett and Ronnie Barker. Let’s be clear, I think Peter Kay is one of the best comedians I’ve ever seen and vividly remember around 2002 unable to breathe for laughing at one of his gigs. Though some of his material/delivery has now dated a little, there’s still a lot of joy in this.

Appearing on chat shows like Parkinson, at the Queen's Golden Jubilee and sharing letters from Ronnie Barker. We wrote to each other for years as pen pals until he passed away." But the show did not go completely smoothly, partly down to Paddy’s timekeeping. Kay says: “All I can remember is a lot of laughter. Especially from Paddy and me. That’s when he managed to turn up for filming. He was a bugger for being late in the mornings.He said: "Within the first few chapters of recording, I was inspired to start to write a third book. Two hugely talented people that made so many of us laugh. I’m telling you, soak up the comedians while they’re still here, these clowns that light up our lives, because when they’re gone, they’re gone. People are always surprised at the void they leave.” ON GAMESHOWS

I had the idea about 10 years ago. All about working in TV. From when I started doing bit parts in Coronation Street right up to Car Share.

Peter Kay performed lollipop lady skit on Michael Parkinson's last show

Is it funny? Some parts may make you smile (depending on your sense of humour, he's not funny to everyone, and not all the time), but I didn't find it a 'laugh out loud' read... The book comes after Bolton-born Kay returned to the spotlight last year beginning his first live comedy shows in 12 years in December as part of an arena tour spanning to 2025 due to public demand. It is his first live tour since 2010, when he scored the Guinness World Record for the biggest selling run of all time, playing to more than 1.2 million people. Kay cancelled his last tour in December 2017, citing “unforeseen family circumstances”. Here are some of the highlights, anecdotes and stories from the new book about his career..... ON CAR SHARE

For those who don't know who the Hell Peter Kay is; he's a Northern English (Bolton, Lancashire) comedian ;) Kay’s most recent hit was Car Share which saw him star alongside close friend Sian Gibson. The BBC show which aired from 2015-2018 was set around supermarket assistant manager John Redmond (Kay) and promotions rep Kayleigh Kitson (Gibson) who drove to work together. If you think that what he found was funny, it was not. It was like a grocery list of things you’d find in a desk. Sometimes he’d be reading, and he’d remember something not included in the ‘official’ version that he was actually reading from, then share a story, only to realize after he started reading again that he’d written it after all, so then I’d have to listen to it again. It was so weird. I still can’t believe it and still can’t face watching any of her series yet. It’s too hard. F***ing cancer. I hope I live to see a cure for it in my lifetime. Then, a few weeks after Victoria Wood, we lost Caroline Aherne, also to cancer. Awful, no other way to put it. So many potholes everywhere. We’d be juddering and banging over them constantly. All of the cameras would shake themselves loose. So we’d all have to pull over and re-tighten all of the equipment before it fell off.” ON LOSING FRIENDSIt's been a real joy recalling the memories. There's over 20 years of stories about filming series like Phoenix Nights and Max & Paddy's Road To Nowhere. In his award winning TV series' he creates worlds populated by degenerate, bitter, useless, endearing and always recognisable characters which have attracted a huge and loyal following. That was what this was. Just random anecdotes from this gentleman’s life. I don’t think it was going anywhere. It was just stuff that happened. Much of it hilariously funny, but still, just stuff. It was read by said gentleman in the audiobook version I listened to. It was throughly enjoyable because he obviously would be sitting in his home, sitting down to read his quota for the day and would start rambling about whatever came to mind. Even including rummaging through his desk drawers and telling me, the listener, what he found. I hadn’t a clue what she was on about. I’d just sat down next to her in make-up and she was already on her soapbox. The second panel gameshow I did (which wasn’t really a gameshow as such) was called Night Fever. Do you remember that? It was a karaoke show presented by Suggs that used to be on Saturday nights at 7 on Channel 5. That was great fun. I’d been grabbing every opportunity with both hands in an effort to get my foot in the door, going from job to job for years and not considering what really mattered.” He later writes: “The series did incredibly well, but despite having so much fun I decided to heed Noddy Holder’s advice. Perhaps it was time to get my priorities right. Maybe that’s why we never did a second series.”