Editing Peter Kay (section)

==Early life and career==
Peter John Kay was born on 2 July 1973 in [[Municipal Borough of Farnworth|Farnworth]], [[Lancashire]],<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=http://www.smoothradio.com/features/peter-kay-facts/|title=10 Peter Kay facts all his fans should know|work=Smooth|access-date=2018-06-11}}</ref> where he attended [[Mount Saint Joseph School]], leaving with a [[GCSE]] in art. 

His father, Michael, was an engineer who died just before Peter's career took off.<ref name=":0" /> His mother, Deirdre (née O'Neill), is an [[Irish Catholic]] originally from [[Coalisland]], [[County Tyrone]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/laughter-lines-sure-our-peter-kay-gets-them-from-tyrone-28573987.html|title=Laughter lines? Sure 'our' Peter Kay gets them from Tyrone|work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk|access-date=2018-05-06|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> and Peter was brought up in her faith.

He took several minor jobs, including working in a toilet roll factory, a [[Netto (store)|Netto]] supermarket, a video rental shop, [[Manchester Arena]], a cash-and-carry, a cinema, a petrol station and a bingo hall, which later inspired episodes for ''[[That Peter Kay Thing]]''. He was sacked from each, after a few months, for "not taking things seriously".<ref>''Manchester Evening News'', 27 October 1997, p. 9</ref>

He began a degree course at the [[University of Liverpool]] in Drama, Theatre Studies and English Literature.<ref name="Guardian"/> He had misinformed the university to accept him, telling the university that he had four GCSEs and A-levels in Psychology and English Literature. Struggling with the course, he changed to studying a [[Higher National Diploma]] (HND) in media performance (including stand-up) at the [[University of Salford]]'s Adelphi Campus School of Media, Music and Performance.<ref name="auto"/> In recognition of his contribution to the entertainment industry, Kay received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Salford University on 19 July 2016, at Salford's Lowry Theatre.<ref name="auto"/>

He started at the Frog & Bucket, on [[Oldham Street]], from July 1996, whilst his girlfriend worked at [[Boots (company)|Boots]].<ref>''Manchester Evening News'', 13 November 1998, p. 40</ref>