Peter Kay in swear row as unscripted line in new show leaves Netflix bosses baffled

Peter Kay starred in the Christmas Wallace and Gromit flick Vengeance Most Fowl as Chief Inspector Mackintosh but an ad-libbed two-word British phrase has baffled Netflix chiefs.

By: irishmirror.ie

Dec 29 2024
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Peter Kay in swear row as unsc

Comedian Peter Kay has left American Netflix chiefs scratching their heads by using a very English idiom. Peter was starring in the Christmas Wallace and Gromit flick Vengeance Most Fowl, in a rare outing after taking something of a step-back from the limelight and his immensely successful career,

In what his his first television role in four years, the Bolton comic starred as Chief Inspector Mackintosh - but Netflix bosses were worried he was being offensive and using a swear word when he uttered one particular phrase. The idiom in question was “flippin’ Nora” - a phrase used as a cry of disbelief or dismay, most notably in the North of England.

Chief Inspector Mackintosh exclaims the phrase as the infamous villain Feathers McGraw - the dastardly clever criminal penguin - makes his escape. And the genius creator behind the hit show revealed that Peter, 51, left Netflix bosses baffled with the phrase - which he in fact had ad-libbed himself, as an improvisation away from the script.

Nick Park, from animators Aardman, told The Sun: “Peter ad-libs quite a lot. At one point he’s astonished at something and shouts ‘Flippin Nora’.”

Meanwhile creative director Merlin Crossingham backed up is boss’s explanation, and said the Aardman team had to scramble to reassure the American Netflix chiefs that the phrase was “innocent”.

Peter Kay is coming back to Ireland (Image: Getty Images)

Merlin said: “[We had to explain to them that] it’s not rude, it’s not an expletive, it’s an innocent turn of phrase’.”

The brand-new Wallace and Gromit film will be streamed across the world on Netflix from next week, after it drew an incredible audience of nine million on BBC 1 on Christmas Day.

Meanwhile, fans of the funnyman will recall this is not the first time Peter has left audiences in the United States a little bit perplexed. He felt the need to say sorry to an audience in Los Angeles in 2009, after he told jokes about celebs from the UK and car-boot sales.

He told the crowd: “I’m sorry if you found that hard to understand but there was comedy in there somewhere.”

Peter Kay returned as Chief Inspector Mackintosh, who had been promoted from a police constable since his appearance in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. He is a beloved comedian who famously created That Peter Kay Thing, Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere and Car Share.

He was last seen on TV in 2020’s Car Share but in November announced his comedy touring comeback – which will be his first set of live gigs in 12 years. This includes two shows at Dublin's 3Arena next July.

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