Peter Kay admits one of the ‘biggest honours’ of his career was appearing on the final episode of the late Sir Michael Parkinson’s iconic chat show
Peter Kay admits one of the ‘biggest honours’ of his career was appearing on the final episode of the late Sir Michael Parkinson’s iconic chat show
Peter Kay has told how one of the ‘biggest honours’ of his career was being asked to appear as a guest on legendary chat show Parkinson.
The comedian, 50, was the support act for Sir Michael Parkinson’s show in the 1990s before getting his big break, writing and starring in That Peter Kay Thing.
He was later invited back to guest on Parkinson for the final episode before Sir Michael, who died in August this year aged 88, retired in 2007.
Peter appeared on the chat show alongside a star-studded line-up of David Beckham, Sir Michael Caine, Sir David Attenborough and Sir Billy Connolly.
Recalling the performance, which saw him bring party hats and do a comedy skit with Sir Michael, Peter described it as one of the ‘greatest honours’ of his career.
Big moment: Peter Kay (pictured in 2017) has told how one of the ‘biggest honours’ of his career was being asked to appear as a guest on legendary chat show Parkinson
Honored: He was asked again to guest on Parkinson for the final episode before Sir Michael, who died in August this year aged 88, retired in 2007
Peter also confessed that he felt very nervous before appearing on the show as he was scared of doing his comedy alongside fellow stand-up Sir Billy.
According to The sunIn his new book TV: Big Adventures On The Small Screen, Peter wrote: ‘One of the greatest honors of my career was being asked to guest appear on Parkinson’s final episode, just before he retired.
‘I immediately said yes, but panicked when they told me whothe line-up would be. David BeckhamSir Michael CaineSir David Attenborough and Sir Billy Connolly. How could I get along with Billy Connolly?
“It’s Billy Connolly, he’s one of the best comedians there ever was.”
During the final Parkinson’s show, Peter brought party hats and cake on stage to commemorate the occasion, getting guests into the festive spirit.
He then engaged Sir Michael in a comedy skit in which he jokingly told the legendary presenter that he had a job lined up for him after his retirement.
Peter then hilariously got Sir Michael to dress up as a lollipop man and the pair performed a scene where the host pretended to be holding up traffic for Peter.
In his book, Peter talked about how the live audience enjoyed the sketch much more than he thought, saying it was ‘better than I ever imagined’.
Peter also recalled how he met Sir Michael and his wife Mary when he appeared every week as a warm-up for Parkinson’s in the 1990s.
Peter’s book TV: Big Adventures On The Small Screen is scheduled for release on September 28 and will see him write about his ‘obsession with TV and working in it’.
Funny: During the show, Peter brought party hats and cake on stage, before getting Sir Michael to dress up as a lollipop man, joking that he had a retirement job for him
Big fan: Peter also confessed he felt very nervous before appearing on the show as he was scared of doing his comedy alongside fellow stand-up Sir Billy (pictured)
The memoir – and his first in 14 years – will take a trip down memory lane as Peter reflects on the past 25 years in showbiz.
Peter’s book also comes as he is on his highly anticipated Better Late Than Never stand-up tour – the first time he has hit the road in 12 years.
‘King of the Chat Show’ Sir Michael sadly passed away ‘peacefully at home’ on August 16, aged 88, after a ‘short illness’.
The veteran TV presenter was known for his intimate interviews with the world’s biggest celebrities, including Muhammad Ali, John Lennon and Dame Helen Mirren.