£32M OKAY PETER!

Comic’s coffers bulging as he shuns limelight

COMIC Peter Kay is still laughing all the way to the bank despite his prolonged break from showbiz.

Fresh accounts reveal the Phoenix Nights star is sitting on £32million in cash and investments in his firms.

And that just keeps on growing despite his relative inactivity.

Peter has not toured since 2012 but his Goodnight Vienna Productions outfit has a bottom line of £23.7m in cash for last year. That is up from £19.8m in 2017.

And another production firm – Hussein Traders Limited – has £8.3m in ready money and investments in its coffers. Money for his hit Car Share goes into a separate account.

The much-loved comedy legend has been seen very little since the shock cancellation of his stand-up tour in 2017 over “unforeseen family circumstances”.

But he recorded a special double episode of Car Share which aired last year.

And he shocked fans by returning to Twitter last week with the announcement of a special Phoenix Nights screening.

Peter wrote: “Why not come on down to the Phoenix Club one last time to see Brian Potter, Jerry “the saint” St Clair, Les Alanos, Max & Paddy and all the gang.

“In fact, why not go a step further and dress up as one of your favourite characters.”

Both series of the Bolton-based sitcom will be aired on the big screen for the first time at the Manchester Apollo and London Apollo early next year to mark its 19th anniversary.

Peter has arranged the dates to raise cash for Cancer Research UK. He previously raised money at special Car Share screenings in Blackpool for The Lily Foundation, which treats children with mitochondrial disease.