Channel 5 is to tell the story of Peter Kay's rise to superstardom.

The Story of Peter Kay traces the career of Britain’s most successful comedian, charting his journey from humble beginnings to fame and talking to the people who knew him, worked with him and helped to shape his career, as well as his devoted fans, biographers and media champions.

The documentary looks at his formative years growing up in Bolton, playing the Cowardly Lion in a school production of The Wizard of Oz (and bringing the house down when he cocked his leg against a tree) and barely leaving the house as he amassed an astonishing collection of recorded TV shows, especially comedy, from which he learnt his trade.

His early jobs are also charted from working inthe local cinema, bingo halls, a toilet roll factory and a motorway service station, before taking a stand-up comedy course at University which quickly led to him being voted North West Comedian of the Year (beating Johnny Vegas). He was soon a major star on the circuit and appearing in numerous TV bit parts.

Eventually he made That Peter Kay Thing for C4 and launched wheelchair-bound working men’s club owning tyrant Brian Potter. 

The one-off special speaks to cast members from That Peter Kay Thing as well as Phoenix Nights, who reveal what it was like working alongside Peter, who would habitually direct from his Brian Potter wheelchair. 

Along the way he has become the perfect chat show guest (having started out as Michael Parkinson’s warm-up man) and a multi-million selling pop star on behalf of Comic Relief and as a fictional trans-gender X-Factor style singer called Geraldine.

Away from TV for a few years Peter came back in 2015 with a massive bang as the star of two award winning new comedies, Cradle to Grave and Car Share.

The Story of Peter Kay airs Sunday 30th October on Channel 5 at 9pm.