Car share star Peter Kay is handing £14,000 to a kids’ charity – £1 for each fan attending his gig at London’s O2 Arena.
The money will go to a Secret Santa fund which touched the comedian’s heart.
To cheers from the crowd – and while wearing a Santa costume – Kay, 49, said: “I was coming down on the way here and I thought what we should do because it’s Christmas.
“I think Christmas is about doing good things for other people so we’re gonna take a pound off each of you.
"I’m going to put it in a children's charity and I was looking at my phone on the way down and I found one called Action for Children.
"They do a Secret Santa and it seems really lovely. There’s 14,000 people here, so if I take a pound that’s £14,000 for children on your behalf. So thanks!”
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A representative for the star said tonight: “We can confirm Peter is making this donation.”
Kay was performing the first of his monthly residency gigs at the O2 as part of his mega nationwide tour – his first in 12 years.
Locks Farmer, of Action for Children, said: “This is such fantastic news – a huge thank you to Peter Kay. Sadly, there will be children all across the UK who face a very different Christmas this year.
“No toys, no Christmas dinner, nothing but a cold house. This amazing donation will support our frontline workers who are helping struggling families.”
Big-hearted Kay, a dad himself, is known for a string of charitable events.
They include raising £5million for Comic Relief when his Phoenix Nights stage show – based on his hit TV series – took over Manchester Arena for 16 nights in 2015.
At Friday’s gig he was given a special award as the first artist in residency in the O2’s 15-year history.
