Controversial comic should have been Brian Potter

Peter Kay has revealed that he wrote the part of club-owner Brian Potter in Phoenix Nights for Bernard Manning.

Kay said he thought Manning, who died in 2007, would have been ‘perfect casting’ for the role – but as the older comic was poor health, Kay took the role himself.

The comedian was speaking on the  BBC Radio Manchester show of his Phoenix Nights colleague Ted Robbins.

He said: ‘Bernard Manning is controversial but he had incredible timing. I wrote the character of Brian Potter in Phoenix Nights for him to play but, unfortunately, he was too poorly to do it. I thought it would have been perfect casting but it didn’t happen."

Kay also said that the new series of Car Share starts in April, adding: ‘I am very happy with it, hopefully people will enjoy it, it’s all very normal and down-to-earth humour.’

He also praised Sir Ken Dodd – ‘I have a lot of respect for him, when he goes that will be it, there will be no one else like him’ – and   Cannon and Ball – ‘they are pin sharp and on the ball… they are still absolutely hilarious’.

And he also said that the key to a long comedy career was being mainstream. 

‘It’s funny how comedy is,’ he said. ‘You look at people like French and Saunders, when they started out they were very alternative. A lot of those alternative comedians have ended up being mainstream. They know that longevity is about being mainstream.’

The full interview is on the BBC iPlayer. 

Published: 3 Mar 2017