American Netflix bosses faced a puzzling moment when beloved British comedian Peter Kay baffled them with an oh-so-English saying. The star made a rare appearance in the Wallace and Gromit festive special, Vengeance Most Fowl, marking his first TV role in four years after taking a backseat from his glittering comedic career.
As Chief Inspector Mackintosh, Kay spouted "flippin' Nora", an expression that left Netflix top brass fearing he'd dropped a clanger. The idiom, synonymous with Northern English expressions of shock or exasperation, was ad-libbed by Kay, adding a touch of authenticity to his portrayal of a bobby on the heels of villainous penguin, Feathers McGraw.
Aardman's creative genius Nick Park dished to The Sun about Peter's penchant for improvisation, saying: "Peter ad-libs quite a lot. At one point he's astonished at something and shouts 'Flippin Nora'."
Merlin Crossingham, Creative Director at Aardman, had to step in to assure American execs the term was nothing but "innocent", revealing the team's quick footwork to clarify no offense was meant by the bolt-from-the-blue phrase.
The eagerly awaited Wallace and Gromit film is set to take Netflix by storm from next week, following its smashing success with a viewership of nine million on BBC 1 this Christmas Day, reports the Mirror.
Meanwhile, Kay fans might remember his previous stint in America, which left the US audience somewhat baffled.
Back in 2009, during a gig in Los Angeles, Kay felt compelled to apologise after his routine, packed with UK celebrity references and nods to car-boot sales, seemed lost in translation.
Addressing the bemused crowd, he quipped: "I'm sorry if you found that hard to understand but there was comedy in there somewhere."
In his latest screen venture, Peter Kay reprises his role as Chief Inspector Mackintosh, earning his stripes as a police constable since his last foray in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
The cherished comedian, the brains behind acclaimed shows like That Peter Kay Thing, Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere, and Car Share, graced television screens last in 2020's Car Share.
However, this November, he broke the news of his long-anticipated return to stand-up comedy promising a series of live performances that mark his first in over a decade.
Catch up with Wallace and Gromit's latest Christmas special now on BBC iPlayer.
