COMEDY AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Since Peter Kay has built his career almost entirely upon a shared sense of nostalgia, it is only to be expected that his autobiography might contain a few ‘an’ then it were all back ‘ome for Manimal’ style anecdotes. But there’s no excuse for this appallingly lazy, sloppily written, self-satisfied heap of pulp, which is nothing more than a random pile of childhood reminiscences strung together by an endless parade of pop culture references.

Kay must surely have tossed this off in an afternoon. There’s no narrative or point to speak of, and it stops just before he becomes a professional comedian; i.e. when it might become interesting. Kay is a genuinely funny, intelligent chap, but frustratingly, he seems content to sell himself short with anodyne drivel like this. The sound of laughter, all the way to the bank.