Household favourite Peter Kay is a fitting choice to kick off Channel 4's Funny Fortnight, a two-week stretch of comedy including new programmes, stand-up and classics from the archives. His first live tour for seven years, Kay's 2010 show gets its television debut tonight. The tour's success was unparalleled selling over one million tickets in 18 months, including a staggering 40 nights at the Manchester Arena.

Tony Christie hurt by Peter Kay's joke

Singer Tony Christie has been left fuming after comedian Peter Kay made a savage joke about him at Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Concert.

Peter Kay to be warm-up act for The X Factor

The X Factor will get another new face when auditions kick off today - comic Peter Kay.

Can millionaire comics still connect with their fans?

Standups like Peter Kay and John Bishop pride themselves on being everyman comedians. So does it matter if they're raking in squillions every year?

Britain's top comics are earning up to £20m for a tour

Peter Kay raked in £20m from last tour - more than the Beckhams earnings in last year, and Ricky Gervais, Britain's richest comedian, is now worth £32m.

Being modern: Arena comedy

Lee Evans, Steve Coogan, Dylan Moran, Eddie Izzard, Peter Kay, Russell Brand, Tim Vine, Michael McIntyre... the very best of our home-grown talent has since filled the O2 Arena, the very biggest of our coliseums - and McIntyre has made playing to these rooms an expected practice rather than a remarkable event thanks to his televised "roadshows". Fewer than 100,000 arena-comedy tickets were sold in 2004; within five years, that figure had breached a million.

Paddy McGuinness: "I was scared to leave my old job"

Paddy McGuinness has revealed that childhood friend Peter Kay "nagged" him to quit his job for a full-time career in comedy.

Now in their 21st year, the British Comedy Awards have long served as a bellwether for the state of British comedy, from the quirky satire of the early 1990s, through the energetic sketch shows of the mid- to late-90s, to the recent success of family-friendly stand-up comics like Peter Kay, Michael McIntyre and John Bishop. Thanks to a sharp host, a ready supply of funny clips and a suitably witty audience, they've also been one of the few live awards ceremonies actually worth watching.

Tonight's event is hosted live by Jonathan Ross. Leading the nominees is Miranda Hart, who is up for four awards, while Harry Hill gets three nods. Hart, last year's Queen of Comedy winner, is up for the award again, with David Mitchell, Telegraph agony uncle Graham Norton, Jack Whitehall, Jo Brand and Sarah Millican also in the running. Tamsin Greig and Tom Rosenthal are nominated for best TV comedy actress and best comedy breakthrough artist respectively for their roles in Friday Night Dinner, while Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner have been singled out for their contribution to Outnumbered. Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville receives a nomination for his role in the Olympic comedy Twenty Twelve.

Peter Kay sells more than 10million DVDs

Stand-up comedian Peter Kay breaks the record for sales of comedy DVDs.