Lisa Riley has responded to reports that Peter Kay compared a heckler to her, stating that she is “not offended”.
The Bolton comedian was on stage at his Manchester gig on Saturday night when a woman was ejected by security guards after shouting “We love you Peter”. Kay allegedly made the comparison to Riley as she was being escorted out.
The audience member has expressed feeling “annoyed and upset” by the remarks.
“To attend a show and feel like you’re being mocked because of your weight, I was quite shocked,” she told the Manchester Evening News.
“The entire arena was laughing, they thought it was part of the show but there was a mean tone in his voice. It seemed like he was trying to turn the crowd against me – it just wasn’t pleasant, to be honest.”
Riley, 48, is most notably known for her role as Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale and for hosting You’ve Been Framed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In response to her unexpected mention during the show, Riley shared a post on Instagram on Monday with a message that read: “Keep calm and laugh”. She added the caption: “It’s all in good fun, it’s funny!!!”
She later followed up on Tuesday with another post on Instagram stating: “Let’s put an end to this now. I am not offended, never was offended. I adore Peter Kay. Laughter is the best medicine”.
Kay also reportedly removed two men from the same show after one kept shouting “garlic bread,” a phrase associated with Kay.
Kay explained on ITV’s Good Morning Britain that he ejected hecklers to prevent them from disrupting the show for others, stating it was no longer fair to the rest of the audience.
Regarding his comparison of one audience member to Riley, he mentioned in a statement to the show: “I didn’t realize it was meant as an insult. She did bear a striking resemblance to Lisa Riley, I didn’t know that was offensive”.
One audience member told the Manchester Evening News that Kay “yelled” at the hecklers for “a good three to five minutes” during the performance.
Reactions from the audience were mixed: “Some were shocked and obviously irritated, while others were laughing, either believing it was part of the act or going along with it.”
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Kay, 51, who has been touring with his record-breaking Better Late Than Never Again tour since 2022, recently celebrated his 100th show at the AO Arena – where the three hecklers were removed from.
Tickets for the show start at £35, with premium seats priced at around £350.
Sky News has reached out to Kay’s representatives for comment.
Kay is currently scheduled to continue his tour into spring 2026.