Peter Kay took fans by surprise when he re-emerged in 2023, having mostly lay low since abruptly cancelling his tour in 2017, with many fans drawing attention to how much weight he appeared to have lost.Â
For the first time, the 52-year-old opened up about his change in appearance in a brand new interview on Monday, 1 December, at an In Conversation With… event hosted by Sara Cox at The Lowry theatre in Salford.
When he was asked if he had ever tried to lose weight in the past, he replied: “Only for the first 48 years of my life. Yeah I had to, eventually, because you start thinking about your health and things like that, don’t you?
Peter’ re-emerged in 2023, and his change in appearance took fans by surprise
“I tried everything,” Peter continued. “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.”
Peter recalled the moment he decided to make a change
The comedian realised he had a problem with binge eating when he found himself sneaking out of the cinema, lying about needing to go to the toilet only to leave a hot dog.
“I was doing really well with this diet,” he confessed, “but I’m so bad with willpower. I had this hot dog and I caught a glimpse of myself reflected in, ironically, a framed poster for Babe.
© Ian West – PA ImagesComedian Peter Kay and his wife Susan arriving for the British Academy Television Awards in 2003
“I thought, look at you – what are you doing? You’re doing really well on this diet, you should be ashamed of yourself,” Peter continued, explaining how he threw it into the bin, but caught it before he hit the liner.Â
He also explained how he believed his bad eating habits dated all the way back to when he was a child, when his mother used to bring him pies to eat in primary school.
Losing weight healthily
Though it can be difficult in some ways, losing weight healthily without injections such as GLP-1s is still considered the best option for those concerned with the risks or side effects.
Speaking to HELLO!, Dr Angela Kwong explains that balanced nutrition is vital to healthy weight loss, regardless of whether you choose to integrate medication.
© Getty ImagesA balanced diet is the key to healthy weight loss
“Keep things simple with a palm sized serving of protein, half a plate of rainbow veggies, a fistful of complex carbs, and a thumb of healthy fats,” she says.Â
“An anti-inflammatory pattern (think olive oil, nuts, legumes, fish) supports metabolic health. Small, repeatable changes beat restrictive ‘fixes’ every time.”She also asserts that movement protects your metabolism, mood and muscle mass: “Start with walking consistently, then add in resistance training a few days a week. This can be done simply at home with body weight exercise, bands and dumbbells.”
The weight management expert recommends “low-impact options like cycling, swimming and Pilates” for beginners.