Peter Kay announces return to stand-up during I'm A Celebrity

Comedian Peter Kay has announced his return to stand-up with his first live tour in 12 years.

The 49-year-old has been largely absent from the spotlight since he cancelled his 2017 tour due to "unforeseen family circumstances".

Announcing his new live dates, Kay said: "It's good to get back to what I love doing best, stand-up comedy."

His comeback was announced during an ad break in the series launch of ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

DJ Chris Moyles, rugby player Mike Tindall and singer Boy George were all seen entering the jungle in Sunday's opening episode, but the former health secretary Matt Hancock will not appear until later in the series.

During the commercial break, Kay was seen carrying a rolled-up carpet into a house while confirming to nearby fans he will return to stand-up comedy next month.

The comedian will embark on a new UK arena tour, spanning from December to August 2023.

What is it like seeing Peter Kay live 38 times?

By Daniel Rosney, BBC News Entertainment reporter

Back in 2010 I worked as a yellow blazer-wearing steward ("no filming of the stage, please") at the Manchester Arena - something Peter Kay himself had previously done - and it was there that The Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour was on for 20 nights.

It later did go on tour, and returned for a further 20 shows.

Fans would cry tears of laughter at his opening gambit about those in their seats being his employer for the night, along with his impressions of people using an "I'm ill" voice to call their boss and bunk off work for the day.

He'd reference his old jokes as well: "Every time I go to an Italian restaurant, they give me free garlic bread… it's why my new catch-phrase is plas-ma… plas-ma…." (because he wanted a free TV set).

While the routine was largely the same every show, I still laughed out loud each time, along with those seeing it for the first time. His observational comedy was something everyone could relate to.

"Have we got any teachers in?" he'd ask. There'd be a cheer. "Woah, woah, woah, no shouting out, put your hands up, one rule for one…"

But it was his encore which proved he's a true showman. He'd impersonate Freddie Mercury, using a shovel as a make-shift guitar, belting out the hits he and audiences loved.

After a near two-hour comedy gig he became a rock star and people would be on their feet wanting more and they're finally getting it.

I didn't get to keep my yellow blazer when I traded it in for a BBC lanyard, but given Peter Kay sometimes wore one to show his fans to their seats, he might get one dry-cleaned, just in case.

The dates will mark Kay's first live tour since 2010, when he scored the Guinness World Record for the biggest selling stand-up tour of all time, playing to more than 1.2 million people.

The advert concluded with the fans asking Kay whether he had finally bought his mother a bungalow - a reference the comic's previous Mum Wants A Bungalow tour. Kay replied that he had, explaining that his mother now wanted a new carpet to go in it.

In a statement, the Bolton-born comic said: "It's good to get back to what I love doing best, stand-up comedy, and if there's ever a time people need a laugh it's now.

"And with the cost of living at an all-time high, ticket prices are starting from £35 - the same price they were on my previous tour in 2010."

Kay will begin his tour on 2 December at the Manchester AO Arena before visiting locations including Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Belfast, Newcastle, Glasgow and Dublin.

His run will end on 11 August at the Sheffield Utilita Arena. London was absent from the tour locations listed in the advert.

A poster for the event featured Kay holding a sign reading, "Better late than never" and described a ticket to his shows as an "ideal Christmas gift".

Kay has kept a low profile in recent years. He notably returned to the stage in August 2021 for two special charity events to raise money for Laura Nuttall, a then 20-year-old with an aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme.

There was also a brief return in January 2021 when he appeared on BBC Radio 2 for a conversation with Cat Deeley - who was filling in after Graham Norton left the station - about his love of music, mixtapes and the musical Mamma Mia.

He also made a surprise appearance at a charity screening of his series Car Share in 2018.