Laura Nuttall: Mum hails Peter Kay's 'incredible' brain cancer vow

Laura Nuttall's mother has thanked Peter Kay for raising awareness of the foundation set up in her memory.

The comic interrupted his gig in Manchester to pledge some of the ticket sales to the Nuttall family's charity.

Laura made headlines when she ticked off a bucket list of ambitions after being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018. She died in May aged 23.

Her mother Nicola, who was in the audience, said she was taken aback by Kay's "shock" announcement.

Laura's positive outlook won the hearts of many, including the Phoenix Nights star, who played his first gig in four years in 2021 to raise funds for her treatment.

And after striking up a friendship with the Nuttalls, from Barrowford in Lancashire, he extended his generosity once again at his sell-out weekend show at the Manchester AO Arena.

Nicola told BBC Radio Lancashire: "It was just after the second half started when he mentioned Laura. We were just sitting there with our mouths open, in front of all those people.

"Then he said he was going to donate £2 per ticket from the show to Laura's foundation, which is the best part of £30,000.

"We were just bowled over. I mean we couldn't love him anymore than we do, he's just an incredible man. Not only is he the kindest but he's also the funniest. It was an amazing night."

She said Kay - who took Laura and her family out for lunch during her treatment - often visited her family "for a brew and a chat", adding: "He's just a really good friend. Away from all the showbiz stuff, he's just a really good man.

"He was devastated when Laura died. He'd helped her in so many ways funding treatment for her and now he's helping us to fund research which hopefully will make the outcomes better for people like Laura in the future."

Nicola said the Laura Nuttall Foundation had made its first donation to the Brain Tumour Charity to fund the second stage of a medical cannabis trial researchers hope can be used alongside chemotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive form of brain cancer Laura was diagnosed with following a routine eye test.

She was later found to have eight tumours and, in 2018, was given just a year to live.

However, she went on to work her way through her list of ambitions, which saw her meet Michelle Obama, command a Royal Navy ship, graduate from the University of Manchester and present the weather on BBC North West Tonight.

Nicola said: "Laura was all about trying to make things better for other people because she knew that her diagnosis didn't hold much hope but the fact that we could maybe change things for the future, that's what kept her going."

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