Peter Kay bringing back Phoenix Nights for two live shows

Peter Kay performed on stage at the Royal Albert Hall as Brian Potter in 2005 in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust

Peter Kay is bringing back his hit TV series Phoenix Nights as a live show in aid of Comic Relief.

The comedian has announced two dates at the Manchester Arena on 31 January and 1 February.

He revealed the news to Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 and admitted he wasn't sure it would be possible.

"I rang all the cast and they overwhelmed me with their generosity. Everybody's doing it for free, everybody's involved," he said.

"We're all looking forward to doing it. It's been lovely getting together with everybody and working out ideas and what we're going to do."

Phoenix Nights Live will reunite the full original cast from the award-winning television series, with Kay back as both Brian Potter, the owner of the Phoenix Club, and doorman Max.

Take Me Out host Paddy McGuinness will return as the other doorman Paddy, while Dave Spikey will be back as the compere Jerry St Clair.

Kay said he came up with the idea in February this year and thought it would take a year to organise.

All the original cast are busy with their own careers and Kay admitted it was hard to organise.

"It's been so hard getting everybody together at the same time, it's really hard, but we've all set the time aside and we've been working on it since February, writing it and getting together.

'Little steps'

The second series of Phoenix Nights finished in 2002 and he admitted he is constantly being asked whether there would be any more episodes.

But Kay said he wasn't sure whether the live shows would lead to anything else.

"It's lovely to do it and I hope people support it because I think it'll be a belter. I don't know if anymore will come off the back of it we'll just have to see.

"I don't know about a series I don't think so, I've no plans to. There are lots of things written but I think it's a case of doing one thing at a time, little steps.

"I think the main reason for doing this for Comic Relief is because if it sells it could make an absolute fortune.

"You're always trying to think of new ways of doing things and I just thought nobody has done this before, nobody's got together the cast of a sitcom and done a show on stage and given all the money to Comic Relief, and I thought if we can all agree, the money it could raise would be fantastic."

Tickets go on sale Sunday 30 November at 11:00 GMT.