Peter Kay has been pictured on stage at the Ivor Novello Awards as the beloved comedian makes a rare public appearance.
The 48-year-old funnyman has kept himself out of the public eye in recent years, so when he is seen at events, it always brings some cheer to his legions of fans.
TV historian Lucy Worsley shared a snap of the Phoenix Nights creator on Twitter, which she shared her surprise at seeing him.
Peter was seen looking dapper in a two-piece suit as he addressed the audience at the awards event.
She captioned a photo of Peter with: "And is that REALLY Peter Kay??? And yet ..."
Since his last tour in 2011, Peter has only appeared at special events and has been rarely seen in public over the past decade.
Fans of the comic may not have to wait much longer to see him back on stage.
Fellow comedian Jason Manford, 40, has raised hopes of a big comedy comeback and told fans of Peter to "keep an eye out".
Speaking on Dublin radio station FM104's Strawberry Alarm Clock show, Jason said: "He's great, Pete. We've known each other a long time, it must be 25 years. It's been a hell of a ride.
"He's just an absolute legend isn't he? What a treasure. Hopefully back himself soon, doing stand-up, so keep your eye out for his tour. Not that he needs you to buy a ticket as much as I do."
Peter was set to tour in 2018, but scrapped all 100 dates of sold out Peter Kay Live Arena Tour shows months before due to "unforeseen family circumstances".
He issued a statement on his Facebook page at the time which read: "Due to unforeseen family circumstances, I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects.
"My apologies. I'm sure you'll understand that my family must always come first."
The Ivor Novello Awards are rewarded to artists by The Ivor Academy for exceptional songwriting and composing. The winner is selected by judges who belong to the Academy.
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