Comedian Peter Kay makes first appearance since cancelling stand-up tour that he was due to bring to Sheffield

Peter Kay was due to perform in Sheffield in 2019.

Kay greeted almost 3,000 fans at Blackpool Opera House last night, during the last of three chairty screenings of his BBC comedy Car Share.

The 44-year-old thanked the audience for coming to see the special finale of the sitcom plus an improvised episode.

The opera house event was held to raise money for The Lily Foundation, which treats children with mitochondrial disease.

Twitter footage of Kay's brief appearance showed the Phoenix Nights star thanking people for supporting the charity before saying: "Enjoy the last ever episode of Car Share. Don't tell anyone the end. Or tell anyone about any hedgehogs."

And bowing as he left the stage, he added: "So thank you. Lots of love, enjoy, take care, bye-bye."

Kay had been due to start his first tour in eight years this month, but announced in December that he was pulling out of all commitments 'due to unforeseen family circumstances'.

"This decision has not been taken lightly and I'm sure you'll understand my family must always come first," he wrote on Twitter.

Kay currently holds the record for the biggest-selling comedy tour of all time after playing to 1.2 million people in 2010 and 2011.