Comedian Peter Kay made a surprise return to a live BBC weather report, echoing a famous prank he pulled 15 years prior. Kay, 53, appeared on Wednesday's BBC North West Tonight to promote a fundraising event.
As weather presenter Molly Brewer began her forecast, Kay slowly entered the frame. "We have got a yellow weather warning in force... we've got a Peter as well," Brewer told viewers. Kay jokingly offered to cover certain areas on the interactive map, remarking, "I'm covering Chester. I'm covering Buxton, they won't mind."
When the map indicated storms approaching the North West, Kay exclaimed, "It's chucking it down Molly! What's this? This is El Nino Molly!" Brewer responded by noting the forecast included "even more disruption... maybe a bit more chaotic as well."
Kay commented on the impending rain, "Look at that, you know what? We've had it lucky. Every morning clear blue skies and sunshine, and now? Autumn. Get your central heating on now!"
Brewer recalled the 2011 incident where Kay interrupted the late broadcaster Dianne Oxberry's forecast on the same program. "I don't know how Dianne managed, I'm not gonna lie," Brewer admitted. In the original prank, Kay crawled onto Oxberry's screen in an attempt to distract her. Oxberry, who passed away in 2019 at age 51 after a cancer diagnosis, had playfully warned Kay she might retaliate by appearing on his stage.
On Wednesday's broadcast, Kay was promoting a one-off performance at Blackpool's Opera House. The show is intended to raise funds for a teenager's vital heart treatment in the United States. The 19-year-old, Fin Cormack from Prenton, Merseyside, requires the treatment.
In related news, reports earlier this month indicated that some long-serving BBC Weather presenters were considering leaving the channel due to proposed cuts. Bosses reportedly plan to reduce the national weather team and focus more on digital content, which has led some presenters to explore voluntary redundancy options. The proposed changes include a reduction in national weather presenter roles from 11 to 4.5. An insider suggested these changes reflect a shift in the relevance of traditional weather forecasts, with an increased demand for digital content and reporting alongside presenting.