Peter Kay has opened up about the moment he realised he needed emergency surgery after being struck down by agonizing kidney stones and said the ordeal left him in tears.
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Comedian Peter Kay waving(Image: Peter Byrne/PA)
Peter Kay has shared the terrifying moment he discovered he needed emergency surgery after being struck by excruciating kidney stones — an ordeal he described as feeling like his “world collapsed.”
The much-loved Bolton-born comedian, 52, recounted the painful episode during a train journey from London to Wigan, explaining that what started as a stomach ache rapidly turned into one of the worst experiences of his life.
The Max and Paddy star revealed his symptoms began on Friday, and by Sunday his lower right back was “throbbing,” prompting him to seek medical help.
In his new book, Peter Kay’s Diary, he wrote: “I didn’t feel well at all, so I did what anybody would do in the situation — I looked up my symptoms with Dr Google. It was looking like a kidney stone.”
His self-diagnosis proved accurate. “Fast forward twenty-four hours and my suspicions were confirmed via a CT scan at the local hospital. It turned out I had a big stone blocking the exit of my right kidney,” he said, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The doctor then delivered the alarming news that he required immediate surgery. “He reassured me but said I needed emergency surgery to remove the kidney stone, which would also involve having a stent fitted up my urethra (Franklin) in order to maintain my kidney functions.”
As the pain intensified, the comedian’s famed wit was pushed to its limits. “Kidney stone pain is legendary, and I was starting to sob and make the occasional high-pitched whining sound. Like when you fire an air rifle at a dog’s testicles.”
The Car Share favourite was informed that surgeons would deploy a tiny laser-equipped camera to “blast the kidney stone to smithereens.”
However, it was only when the urologist explained how they would access the kidney that Kay truly panicked.
“Oh my God, he means he’s going in through the hole at the end of my penis,” he recalled in horror. “My world collapsed. Red lights flashed in my head. He can’t go up there — it’s out of bounds, private land. Area 51. A camera won’t fit up there, let alone one carrying a laser. Was this guy on glue?”
Fortunately, the television personality said doctors successfully removed the stone, before admitting he was “weeping” in agony once the general anaesthetic wore off.
In September, Kay postponed two performances in Nottingham due to another “routine kidney procedure.”
The 52-year-old had been scheduled to appear at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on Sunday and 6 October.
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A statement from SJM Concerts, posted by Kay on his social media platforms on Monday, confirmed the decision had been taken “following medical advice.”
They were married for nearly 60 but since the death of her rarely-seen husband Carl Dean in March this year, Dolly has been struggling with her health and her emotions
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Dolly Parton and husband Carl Dean before he died in March 2025.(Image: Dolly Parton)
She’s one of the hardest working people in Hollywood, so when 9 to 5 singer Dolly Parton was forced to cancel upcoming gigs it was a clear sign that something was wrong.
Dolly recently told fans on social media that she was unable to rehearse and prepare for six Ceasars’ Palace shows, which were due to take place from December 4 to December 13, because of medical procedures.
And last night, Dolly Parton’s younger sister Freida alarmed fans when she said said she had been “up all night praying” for the singer as she faces ongoing health ‘challenges’.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Freida rallied fans to pray for her older sibling and wrote: “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately.”
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However, the country legend’s production manager, Olly Rowland, has settled concerns over Dolly’s illness.
He said: “It’s just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those. It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly.”
As well as experiencing significant health challenges throughout her career, Dolly has been heartbroken since her beloved husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025.
Dolly admits she’s been very emotional and has struggled to adapt to life without him after their 60 years together.
“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” she said on social media. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
Dolly met Dean outside a laundromat on the first day she arrived in Nashville as an 18-year-old aspiring singer. Recalling their first meeting, she said: “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”
Two years later, on May 30, 1966, the couple exchanged vows at a private ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia. They were married for six decades but Carl kept himself out of the limelight, preferring to stay at home and live on their farm running his paving business.
He was dedicated to Dolly and once said he knew he was going to marry her the moment they met: “My first thought was I’m going to marry that girl,” Carl once said. “My second was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.’ And that was the day my life began.”
But despite her heartbreak since his passing, the legendary country singer later said in an interview with Knox News that she was “doing better than I thought I would.”
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“I’ve been with him 60 years,” she told the publication. “So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”
“I’m at peace that he’s at peace, but that don’t keep me from missing him and loving him,” Parton added, noting that Dean had “suffered a great deal. It’s a hole in my heart, you know, but we’ll fill that up with good stuff and he’ll still always be with me.”
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The country music icon has battled a number of health struggles throughout her career, and the moment she collapsed on stage after ignoring doctor’s orders was a wake-up call
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Dolly has spoken out about her recent health struggle after her sister’s social media post(Image: Getty Images)
Country music legend Dolly Parton has set the record straight on her health ‘challenges’ after her sister asked fans to pray for her welfare.
The star’s younger sibling Freida sent fans into a frenzy after writing on social media that she was “up all night praying” for Dolly, who recently cancelled her winter Ceasars’ Palace gigs.
Freida’s Facebook posted said: “Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly. Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been lead to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me.
“She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine. Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!”
READ MORE: Dolly Parton’s furious response after sister asks for prayers
And now Dolly has issued a fiery statement of her own after her sister’s cryptic social media post, clarifying that she’s not in medical dire straits.
Explaining why she is taking some time off work, the 79-year-old confirmed that she has been battling severe kidney stones and needs time to recover.
Her English manager Olly Rowland confirmed that the worries were overblown, adding: “It’s just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those. It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly.”
While fans are flooded with relief that Dolly’s diagnosis isn’t anything more serious, it’s not the first time she’s faced medical setbacks. The star has battled a number of health issues, with one agonising issue changing her life forever.
In 2017, the country star candidly discussed her health struggles in her autobiography ‘Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton’.
She was just 35-years-old when illness first struck, as she admitted: “I was getting away with murder. I wasn’t watching what I ate, I wasn’t conscious of nutrition, wasn’t taking care of myself.”
“I was working hard, and underneath I was a pile of personal and emotional problems. All at once I fell apart. It was stomach problems and female problems – all over health problems actually.”
These complications surfaced following Dolly’s massive triumph with her chart-topper ‘9 to 5’ and her silver screen debut in ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ during the 1980s.
In 1984, Dolly’s health took a turn for the worse when she collapsed on stage in Indianapolis, having ignored medical advice not to perform.
She was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere, such as the fallopian tubes and ovaries, according to the NHS. At just 36, she was forced to have a partial hysterectomy, heartbreakingly ending her chances of carrying children.
This procedure involves the removal of the uterus while leaving the cervix intact, as explained by John Hopkins Medicine.
This plunged Dolly into a deep depression, during which she suffered with binge eating, excessive drinking, and even contemplated suicide.
In her book, she wrote: “Suddenly I was a middle-aged woman. I went through a dark time, until I made myself snap out of it.” The heartbreaking events led to Dolly rapidly gaining 50Ibs, confessing that she could eat three pizzas but still crave McDonalds and chips.
This resulted in an unhealthy eating cycle, as she revealed: “On top of being medicated, Dietin’ Dolly would go on liquid protein, Scarsdale, Atkins, the water diet, then I’d binge, diet, gain, start all over again. Eventually my system wouldn’t work anymore. My body couldn’t hold up under that strain. Overeating is as much a sickness as drugs or alcohol.”
What is endometriosis?
Around one in 10 women of reproductive age in the UK – between puberty and menopause – suffer from endometriosis, highlights Endometriosis UK.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) explains that the condition occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, leading to inflammation and scar tissue forming in the pelvic region.
It is the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK, but it takes on average eight years for symptoms to be diagnosed. Unfortunately, the cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is no way to prevent it.
However, WHO explains that symptoms can be treated with medicines, and in some cases, surgery.
Symptoms
Symptoms of endometriosis can differ from person-to-person, however the most common warning sign is dysmenorrhoea (painful periods). The NHS has highlighted other red flags to watch out for, these include:
Pain in your lower tummy or back (pelvic pain) – usually worse during your period
Period pain that stops you doing your normal activities
Pain during or after sex
Pain when peeing or pooing during your period
Feeling sick, constipation, diarrhoea, or blood in your pee or poo during your period
Difficulty getting pregnant
Heavy periods – You might use lots of pads or tampons, or you may bleed through to your clothes
Treatment
You should write down your symptoms and visit a GP, especially if they’re having a big impact on your life. It’s important to note that these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have endometriosis, as they are often mistaken for other health conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The health body has also shared the treatment options available, these include:
Painkillers – such as ibuprofen and paracetamol
Hormone medicines and contraceptives – including the combined pill, the contraceptive patch, an intrauterine system (IUS), and medicines called gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues
Surgery to cut away patches of endometriosis tissue
An operation to remove part or all of the organs affected by endometriosis – such as surgery to remove the womb (hysterectomy)
In most cases, people who have a hysterectomy can be in hospital for up to five days after surgery, with full recovery taking about six to eight weeks.
Taylor Tuli Wily, who was best known for his acting career in Hawaii Five-0, died in Utah in June 2024 at the age of just 56 following a successful actin career
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Wily died in 2024(Image: Getty Images)
A TV star suffered a horror fall just months before his death, it has now been reported. Taylor Tuli Wily died at the age of 56 in June 2024 after enjoying a successful acting career.
He was best known for his part in Hawaii Five-0 before he reportedly suffered injuries in a wheelchair accident just a few months before his death.
A lawsuit was filed on September 26, 2025 which claimed that the star was left with head injuries following an accident that happened on October 3, 2023. Wily’s estate has also claimed the injuries which led to his death.
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The Sun reported that Wily was being loaded into a transport van while he was in his wheelchair but this is when the ramp stopped working and the actor fell from a platform, according to the court docs.
Wily then hit his head on the pavement and his estate have claimed that he was unable to get life-saving treatment for the injuries.
The estate is seeking more than $50,000 (£37,000) and wants a jury trial. It has accused GMTCare the Nevada transportation company of failing to make sure the lift was safe before the accident.
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The lawsuit was filed more than a year after Wily’s manager told The Los Angeles Times that he died of natural causes.
Wily has a successful acting career which spanned decades but he was also a sumo wrestler and UFC competitor. While he was a sumo wrestler, he went undefeated in his first 14 matches before retiring from the sport in 1989.
Wily competed in his first and only UFC bout in November 1993 when he lost to Gerard Gordeau. He was knocked out in the opening 30 seconds.
Three of Wily’s teeth were dislodged due to a flying kick from Gordeau. He then went on to focus on his acting career after this.
Wily appeared in episodes of the TV series Marker and One West Waikiki. However, he is most remembered for his role as Kamekona in Hawaii Five-0.
Wily starred in 171 episodes of the program between 2010 and 2020. His final acting role before his death was in Magnum P.I. between 2018 and 2020, where he also starred as Kamekona.
Peter Lenkov, an ex-Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. runner, led the tributes after Wily died. Writing on Instagram, he said: “You charmed me into making you a regular… on the show… and in my life. You were family. And I will miss you every day, brother.”
Fans of Wily echoed the sentiment in their own comments underneath the post as they noted that Wily’s character made the show.
One of Meghan’s closest friends has opened up about just how much the duchess means to her and has been there for her in the hardest of times
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Meghan with her pal Kelly McKee Zajfen(Image: Getty Images for Children’s Hosp)
When Duchess Meghan stole the show with a surprise appearance at Fashion Paris Week, it marked a new chapter in her public life – but behind closed doors, Meghan has remained the same for many years, her close pal has revealed.
Kelly McKee Zajfen opened up on Instagram about her friendship with the Meghan, which has spanned nearly 20 years, and has seen the duchess support her through some of the most difficult times in her life, including a devastating family loss.
The former model and charity co-founder met Meghan through the duchess’s ex-husband Trevor Engelson, and they quickly became firm friends.
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While answering questions on her Instagram story, Kelly was asked which are her favourite accounts to follow on the social media platform, and she instantly listed Meghan as one of her top five, saying that she is “endlessly inspired” by the duchess, who returned to social media early this year.
Meghan had previously shut down all her social media accounts when her relationship with Harry became serious, and she was poised to become a working member of the Royal Family and when she relaunched her personal Instagram around the New Year, she quickly amassed a large following.
Another of Kelly’s followers then asked her about her dynamic with the duchess, writing: “How did you meet Meghan M? Love seeing the two of you on here and the joy you bring out”.
Kelly replied, “Ahh thank you! I’ve actually known her for almost 20 years? She even came to my wedding (15 years ago!) and she’s been the most amazing, nurturing, fun, loving person. She’s been by my side especially since Georgie died, and I cherish our friendship very much.”
George, Kelly’s son, tragically died in 2022 after contracting Covid and viral meningitis when he was only nine-years-old. He was found “unresponsive” in the family home.
Amid the unimaginable heartbreak Kelly and her family have gone through, Meghan and Harry have thrown their support behind the former model. The couple has repeatedly attended events in the little boy’s memory and supported Kelly’s charitable projects.
In a heartbreaking essay for People magazine, Kelly described the tragedy of losing her son. “The moment my son died, part of me did too. The previous version of myself was no longer, and the new me introduced herself,” she wrote.
“It happened very quickly. We had no idea when we took him into the hospital that 12 hours later, he would not make it.
“My 9-year-old son George died. Died of Covid and viral meningitis. A healthy and vibrant boy could not fight it.
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“We lost him. I kissed him. But it was to say goodbye. It is impossible to know how to survive this type of grief.
A huge band have announced they’ve cancelled a string of shows. Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones has told fans he’s suffered from a mystery injury to his jaw and cannot travel.
However, the musician, famed for hits including Dakota and Maybe Tomorrow, had no idea how he sustained his injury but advised fans it was in his best interests not to travel far, due to the medical attention he requires.
The band, from Wales, were due to play a string of concerts in Australia, kicking off on October 17 in Sydney, before heading to Dubai on October 29 for a show at the Coca Cola Arena. But their remaining UK dates, launching on December 3 in Birmingham, are currently unaffected.
Stereophonics have cancelled a string of gigs ( Deadline via Getty Images)
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Kelly shared the sad news with their legion of fans. The frontman said: “I am gutted, saddened and disappointed to inform you all, that due to a displaced jaw joint (not caused by singing folks – just one of life’s tense dizzying mysteries!) the upcoming Australia and Dubai shows are cancelled.
“Refunds will be given at point of purchase. Flying long distance is not medically advised. The UK tour in December is still set to go ahead as planned.
“I have cancelled no more than 4 shows in 30 years and I hope you can trust this decision was not taken lightly. I work hard to put on a great show every night, my prep starts in the morning through to showtime.
Kelly took to social media to share the sad news with fans ( @stereophonics/X)
“I respect you as audience members and I respect my crew and band brothers, the bed on which I lay, too much to travel with a doubt. Physio Rehabilitation and healing is the priority right now. There’s 13 studio albums there…spin the black circle until the next time. Love and good health to you all. Kelly Jones.”
Despite the sad news of the cancelled gigs, fans instantly rallied around to show their support. One fan said: “I fly to Sydney for holiday from UK and had tickets to see you …. health is important so wising you a speedy recovery, Hopefully see you in my hometown Manchester in Dec.”
A second added: “Aww, sounds b****y painful Kelly, I hope you really are holding up, especially having to cancel gigs…I hope you make a speedy recovery and let’s hope we see that smile return again in the not to distant future. See you in December…Take good care.”
Kelly told fans he had no idea how long he would be out of action for ( Getty Images)
The cancellation comes just weeks after the band opened up to the Mirror backstage at BBC Radio 2 in the Park. Despite being an ultimate rock band, they have a very unlikely backstage ritual before taking to the stage.
“We started to give each other a hug,” said Jamie Morrison, adding: “It went from a fist bump about a year and a half ago… Usually we wouldn’t even look at each other and you just walk on.” Riding on the success of their latest album, Make ‘Em Laugh, Make ‘Em Cry, Make ‘Em Wait, which topped the charts, guitarist Adam Zindani said: “The songs on the album are quite personal.
“When songs are written in such a way, they just connect with people and for simple reasons.” “It’s like a big snow, big snow rolling down the mountain just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Right at the bottom is number one, not at the top, it’s right at the bottom,” added Jamie.
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