Yahoo News Peter Kay cancels first live tour in eight years over 'unforeseen family circumstances'
Peter Kay has cancelled his first live tour in eight years over "unforeseen family circumstances".
Kay, one of the UK's best-loved comedians, was due to tour the country for more than a year from April, starting in Birmingham.
But in a Twitter statement on Wednesday, the 44-year-old said: "Due to unforeseen family circumstances, I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects.
"This unfortunately includes my upcoming stand-up tour, Dance For Life shows and any outstanding live work commitments.
"My sincerest apologies. This decision has not been taken lightly and I'm sure you'll understand my family must always come first.
"I've always endeavoured to protect my family's privacy from the media. I hope that the media and the public will continue to respect our privacy at this time.
"Once again, I'm very sorry."
On Twitter, messages of support have been shared by his fans.
"Right decision - 100%. The media will try to find out more details but it's no-ones business but yours," one user wrote.
"I hope they leave you alone to deal with whatever has happened. Hope happier days are not too far ahead."
Ticketholders for both Peter Kay's Live Arena Tour and Dance For Life shows will be refunded from their original point of purchase.
After tickets for the initial 26 gigs went on sale in November, he tripled the line-up of events to more than 80.
The tour included a total of 16 shows in his home town of Manchester.
Kay is the Guinness World Record's "most successful stand-up comedian of all time".
He has won multiple BAFTAs for his TV output and his most popular shows include That Peter Kay Thing and Phoenix Nights.
:: What are my rights as a ticket-holder?
You are entitled to a full refund of the face value of a ticket without extras such as postage, administration and booking fees.
Check whether your ticket seller is a member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR), which has as a condition of membership a face value refund after cancellation.
The ticket seller is responsible for giving you a refund for tickets to a cancelled event.
"If an event's been cancelled altogether, we'll usually just refund your tickets automatically. We refund the face value plus the service charge for each ticket - you'll see a credit onto your card within 15 days of us contacting you about the cancellation," says Ticketmaster, one of the main sellers.
If the ticket says you're not entitled to a refund if the event is cancelled by the organisers, this is likely to be considered unfair and you can complain to the seller or SAR directly.
If your claim is ignored or refused by the seller you should contact your bank or credit card company and ask them to reverse the transaction. This is called a chargeback.
