A father alleges he and his son were ejected from a Peter Kay performance for repeatedly shouting the comedian’s catchphrase. Philip Peters, 54, admitted yelling “garlic bread” during the comic’s Better Late Than Never… Again! gig in Manchester over the weekend.
The Mirror reports Kay had security remove several audience members from the venue, a move which has sparked debate. Philip, whose 26-year-old son was also asked to leave, expressed his confusion last night: “I just can’t understand it, all I said was ‘garlic bread’… I was there with my son and they dragged us out like ragged dolls.”
The warehouse driver maintains he received a warm reception, including from Kay, when he initially chanted the catchphrase but the comedian lost his patience with the dad during the second half of the gig.
Philip, who had tickets as a Christmas present from his 17-year-old daughter, added: “In the first half of the show, I shouted out “garlic bread” and they zoomed in on the camera on me. And I put my thumbs up and thought everything was okay. I got no warning or anything, people around us were laughing and joking.
“Then in the second half of the show I said it again, ‘garlic bread’, and that’s when the security guards came over to me and said ‘you are going to have to leave – Peter Kay doesn’t like people shouting out’.”
At Manchester’s AO Arena, another audience member who shouted “we love you” was also asked to leave, with Kay reportedly making a comparison to actress Lisa Riley. Philip noted some attendees left early due to their displeasure with the ejections.
Online opinions are divided, with some arguing hecklers invariably spoil performances. Despite the incident, Philip remains an admirer of Kay, whose monumental comeback tour started in 2022 and is expected to conclude this summer.
The father shared: “I have loved Peter Kay forever. I watched him on Car Share, I watch him on TikTok all the time and I’ve always wanted to see him live. I’ve loved watching him… I just can’t understand it, all I said was ‘garlic bread’. That’s my favourite joke of his.”
According to Mail Online, the tour has raked in a remarkable £27million, surpassing Michael McIntyre’s £10.3million. The average price for a ticket to Kay’s show stands at £59.70, compared to Michael’s £43.35.