He reportedly became frustrated at a man who continued to shout out his iconic catchphrase of “garlic bread” and a woman who shouted: “We love you, Peter,” and threw them out of the show.
But he was criticised by fans for his response, including comparing the ejected woman to the Emmerdale actor Lisa Riley, which audience members took to be a “derogatory” comment about her weight.
In a statement on Instagram, the 51-year-old comedian said: “At the show on Saturday night, 8 February, in Manchester, I had two hecklers disrupting from the very start. I did my best to address the situation and made light of it as any comedian would, but unfortunately their interruptions continued.
“I then tried to ignore them, hoping they’d settle down, but when the disruption persisted into the second half of the show, I asked the audience around them if they were being bothered by the noise. They all shouted ‘yes’ and when I asked for a show of hands at least 40 people raised theirs.”
The statement added: “At that point I had no choice but to take action. The lady who was escorted out did bear a striking resemblance to Lisa Riley, though I don’t see how that’s an insult.