He used to be funny, many years ago. But now he only pops up around Xmas time, to flog another repackaged DVD, or bring out a bloody record. The last few things he has done have been woefully unfunny, and his appearance on the last Parkinson show was embarrassing to watch. So what happened? Remember a few years ago, when he and Ricky Gervais were at the top of their games, and there were debates about who would go on to be the biggest? Well, Ricky won. Where did it go wrong with Peter Kay? And let's face it- it DID go wrong.

He's dried up with his jokes.You have a point he was funny and he bloody awful now,besides there far better stand ups than him and he knows that.

You're saying Max & Paddy's not funny? Oh, no, it's not, is it......

I think PK's problem is that he had two strings to his bow - Phoenix Nights and his stand up show both of which were very funny. Where he went wrong is trying to recreate Phoenix Nights with Max and Paddy - which wasn't a patch - and the flogging to death of his stand up routine to the extent that it stopped being funny and started to grate. Garlic? Bread?

Never could see all the fuss meself. I mean, Jasper Carrott was doing all that observational stuff way back and people like Ben Elton were rehashing it in the 80s. He's all right but is quite safe, the sort of comic you see on the Royal Variety Show along with Joe Pasquale. Not edgy enough for my liking and never was.

I don't think he's written new stand-up material in years. A real comedian doesn't go that long without writing new material. Nope, his sole mission in life is to make as much money as possible from his fans. Take the "Special Kay" DVD he released last Xmas. He's probably the first person to release a DVD containing no main feature, but a collection of "extras". Even his own website is nothing more but a merchandise shop.

that spoof on TV talent shows was about as funny as gen*tal herpes

He was never all that funny in the first place and he was awful in the Love And Monsters epiode of Doctor Who.

To be fair that storyline was pretty sh*t anyway.

He was a one trick pony with only the 'Irish family background' well - of which i identify with - to dip into. Seems like that well is 'well' and truly dry now. Don't get me wrong I saw him live and i was in stitches and i'm also a big fan of Phoenix Nights but his later material and attitude stank a little. He seems to be all about greed now.
Which isn't very funny.

Sure enough, Christmas is coming and so is Peter Kay's new dvd as just witnessed in a WHSmith ad.....where is he for the rest of the year???

Peter Kay was never really that funny - same old boring style of humour that appeals to the same crowd that watch X Factor. He was always doomed to fail and good riddance - although I will grant him Phoenix Nights, that was good, but not all his own work.

phoenix nights is a classic, he should write a new series
that geraldine thing was appalling
his stand up is brilliant he was on paul ogradys show recently saying he had no plans to tour again

I agree. Britain's Got The Pop Factor, or whatever it was called, was one of the worst things I have ever seen. The original show has more imagination and humour than that piece of dross. Lazy in every respect methinks.

He's not doing a tour because he know he's got nothing funny to say for once.

Thought Peter Kay had become funny again, then discovered it was Jason Manford !

I liked Phoenix Nights too but that was co-written with two others (Dave Spikey & Neil Fitzmaurice), whose contribution always seems to be overlooked - always been a bit iffy about Kay on his own, even his stand-up was recycled from his earlier TV work ..

Well said, Jane. Kay has vanished up his own fundament as so may do; possibly he believed too much of his own publicity.

Peter Kay has gone from sharp, with the wonderful "Phoenix Nights," to bland. His MEN arena show was a huge letdown, but as a writer and actor he's superb.

Sherlock Holmes and the Underpants of Death

I see that Peter Kay is releasing a new charity single soon, with an 'all-star' line-up for the video, which he believes will be as big as Amarillo. God help us!

What surprises me about all the responses to this thread is that no-one is really defending Peter Kay. I would have thought that some would argue that Peter Kay is indeed still funny and relevant. My problems with him began when I saw him re-releasing old dvd's in new packaging every Christmas. And the fact that his website is basically just a means to flog more merchandise. Oh, and then there was that Pop Factor thingy. Oh, and when he was loud and annoying on Parkinson's last show. Oh, and those charity singles. Oh yeah, what about Max and Paddy? There was also...

Personally i went off him for the reasons mentioned in W.T.A's post plus i read an interview(s) with the co-writers of Phoenix Nights where they were saying he'd let the stardom thing go to his head completely and was now just a showbiz casualty trying to milk the cash out of it - and it shows! The cracks started to show with Max And Paddy.
Pop Factor?? Shamefully unfunny.

I never thought he was that much to begin with. I never watched the shows he had, like phoenix nights and all that. I dont think true stand up comics really make a good impression when acting in sitcoms/tv shows. And I dont think ricky gervais was funny as stand up act either. He should have kept to the main acting. My impression of Peter Kay is that he uses small one liners, which have been around for a long time. Just recreating them because you have made a name for yourself doesnt help you in my eyes. I personally think that Jason Manfords latest DVD is hilarious and better than anything I have seen of Peter Kay. And there are many brilliant comedians out there, much better than Peter Kay, such as Lee Mack, Dara O Briain, Russell Howard, Michael Macintyre, Frankie Boyle(when he actually has some new material)

Only one thing Peter Kay did ever made me laugh and that was getting number 2 spot in the UK charts ahead of the X Factor "winner" - hilarious.

Other than that unadulterated tedium. Perhaps you have to be from t' North to "get it".

To be fair, he has talent but he just seems to have Pi**ed it away with a very large ego and this strange delusion that he doesn't have to do anything anymore because he's a 'national treasure'. I truly think the success went to his head in a major way.

I watched him 'direct' the X factor rip-off (and I felt the 1st A.D.'s pain trying to cope with his showing off and ego) and he was hideous. For example, Cat Deely walks on stage during a take and a few harmless wolf whistles were heard amid the staged clapping. PK comes on and actually cut the scene dead and killed all feeling of good humour by 'correcting' the audience and making a big show in front of Cat. It was, frankly, a gloriously ugly moment of ego. Ah, the stories I could tell about those days shooting...

Phoenix Nights was brilliant. It made him. And what did he do? He antagonised the other writers/performers so much that they refuse to work with him again, hence no series 3. Everything after Phoenix Nights has been woeful and the X Factor rip off was shockingly poor.

The fact is the majority of successful comedic actors are like this. Eric Morecambe was the same. He loved being famous and it went to his head. Ernie Wise didn't let it go to his head. Eric was, by all accounts, a royal pain in the backside with his ego. So is Ricky Gervais. So are lots of people, but if the quality of the act or the material is constant, then a paying public are willing to overlook that and wish them all the best. 'They earned it'. Eric and Ernie earned it and kept it. PK earned it and then lost it by treating his audience like he was doing them a favour. He's a charity shop favourite now. Maybe he can claw back some merit with the Royal Variety Performance?

Oh, and at some point in these threads a lone voice always pips up saying 'jealousy' - to anticipate that I think we can all say, 'If only'.

It's very simple, you take Dave Spikey out of the equation and all the gentleness and subtlety goes, PK does his best to deny that Neil Fitmaurice and Dave Spikey had a hand in Phoenix Nights...

Shame on you Peter Kay, you had so much love from the public and all you've done is milk them for every penny for the last 4 years...