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Peter Kay spent year out of spotlight raising £35k for rare children's disease charity


The Car Share star has raised nearly £35,000 to help young sufferers of chronic rare genetic Mitochondrial Disease.

Charity fundraisers say his efforts have made a “real difference” to children’s lives.

Peter, 45, delighted fans on Monday when he posed for photos on a tram ride in Blackpool in a rare public appearance.

The dad-of-three has hardly been seen since cancelling a £40million 109-gig sell-out UK tour in December 2017.

His last appearance on stage was when he gave a brief introduction to a charity screening of the last episode of Car Share at Blackpool Opera House last April.

charity

CHARITY: Comedian Peter Kay with Renee Hickson (Pic: NC)

Fans nationwide have been craving a TV comeback ever since.

The funnyman took a Heritage Tram Tour ride on a bank holiday day out in Blackpool.

Wearing a blue checked shirt, sunglasses and hat he posed for selfies with fans and a photo with the tram’s driver and conductor.

He had customers in stitches when he popped into the resort’s Bispham Kitchen restaurant for a snack.

Worker Renee Hickson said he was a “fabulous man”.

“He was so nice,” she said.

“He was so nice”

Renee Hickson

“He called in for food and was laughing and joking with the customers.

“He said we make the best steak pudding ever.”

Referring to one of his famous catchphrases Renee added: “I told him we don’t make garlic bread.”

The stand-up comedian may have been a stranger to TV and theatres in the UK but he has been focussing on his work with the Lily Foundation which is fighting for find a cure for Mitochondrial Disease.

It is a range of conditions caused by faulty mitochondria which are present in every cell in the body and help generate energy.

Sufferers may experience poor growth, seizures, muscle weakness, vision and hearing loss, learning disabilities or problems with their heart, lungs, brain or other organs.

One in 200 babies in the UK are born with genetic changes that can cause the disease though there are no official statistics recording the number of children that go on to develop it.

liz

BABY: Liz with Lily (Pic: PA)

Peter said he has had “first-hand experience of the foundation’s work” and was “proud to raise both awareness and much needed funds to help with the inspiring work they provide to children and their families’.

Lily Foundation chief executive officer Liz Curtis tweeted her thanks to him for his help.

She said everyone involved was “so grateful” to the star who had been “incredibly generous” to their cause.

“For a small charity like ours this is a very significant sum,” she said.

“It will make a real difference to the lives of children with mitochondrial disease by providing vital equipment and care that improves the quality of their lives.

“Not only has it helped raise awareness it has also given hope and encouragement to all the families who live with this devastating condition every day.

“I know I speak for all our families in thanking Peter from the bottom of our hearts.

“He’s shown once again what a real star he is.”



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