Peter Kay says he spent ’48 years’ trying to lose weight and shares ‘shameful’ binge-eating moment
By Lisa McLoughlin
Copyright standard
Peter Kay revealed he spent “the first 48 years of my life” trying to lose weight as he opened up about the “shameful” moment he realised he had a binge-eating problem.
The comedian 53, spoke candidly about his weight loss for the first time during an In Conversation With… event hosted by Sara Cox at The Lowry theatre in Salford.
When asked if he had ever tried to lose weight, the British comedy star joked: “Only for the first 48 years of my life.”
Before adding: “Yeah I had to, eventually, because you start thinking about your health and things like that, don’t you?
“I tried everything. Good God in heaven. I mean, you go to flaming weight-loss groups and stuff like that. I joined Slimming World and WeightWatchers. I did all of them.”
The comic recalled one moment that laid bare his struggle with willpower.
While on a cinema trip with his wife Susan, he told her he was popping to the toilet but instead slipped out to eat a hot dog.
He said, according to The Sun: “I was doing really well with this diet, but I’m so bad with willpower. I had this hotdog and I caught a glimpse of myself reflected in, ironically, a framed poster for Babe.
“I thought, look at you – what are you doing? You’re doing really well on this diet, you should be ashamed of yourself. And I got it and threw it in the bin — and just as it was about to hit the binliner, I grabbed it and still ate it.”
The comedy star revealed his unhealthy eating habits began in childhood, recalling how his mum would bring him pies to eat at primary school and “hide the biscuits” in the tumble dryer.
Kay famously stepped back from the spotlight in 2017 after cancelling a planned tour due to “unforeseen family circumstances.”
He returned in August 2021 for two charity shows and in 2022 announced his first arena tour in 12 years.
His Better Late Than Never tour, which included a record-breaking monthly residency at London’s O2 Arena running from December 2024 to July 2025, continues this autumn before heading to more UK and Ireland venues until April 2026.
