Peter Kay pictured in public for first time in a year

Comedian Peter Kay has been photographed in public for the first time in almost a year after cancelling his highly anticipated live tour.

The star of Car Share and Phoenix Nights was pictured on a Blackpool tram operated by Heritage Tram Tours.

The company said in a Twitter post: “We do love a celebrity passenger on our tours, when we can’t get one @PeterKay_co_uk will do instead! He kindly allowed a photo with the driver and conductor on Boat 600 this afternoon.”

Kay cancelled his live tour in December 2017 due to “unforeseen family circumstances”.

At the time, the comic said his “family must always come first” and that the decision to cancel his first live tour in eight years was “not taken lightly”.

The tour was due to feature more than 80 dates, including 16 shows in Manchester.

He returned to UK screens in a special improvised edition of the BAFTA-winning comedy Car Share in May last year.

But since then his media presence has been scant, with his Twitter posts being limited to video release adverts and appeals for votes in awards.

Bolton-born Kay is known to have a fondness for Blackpool, having organised a charity screening of the last two episodes of Car Share at the Blackpool Winter Gardens ahead of their broadcast on TV.

The charity screenings were organised to raise money for The Lily Foundation, and sold out instantly.

Kay – listed by the Guinness World Records as the “most successful comedian of all-time” – said the foundation was “an inspiring charity that helps to improve the lives of children with mitochondrial disease”.

Before cancelling his tour, Kay had said how much he missed stand-up and how much he was looking forward to going back on the road.

He said: “I really miss it. I know how lucky I am to be making television series and have really loved these past few years working on Car Share, but I miss doing stand-up.

“I can’t wait to get back up on stage.”