The Very British Reason Peter Kay Left Wallace & Gromit's Netflix Execs Worried

Aardman’s festive 2024 film, Vengeance Most Fowl, was the first new Wallace & Gromit movie to be released in a decade – and the first with Ben Whitehead as the voice of Wallace, previously played by Peter Sallis, who died in 2017.

Comedian Peter Kay reprised the role of PC Albert Mackintosh in Vengeance Most Fowl, after originally voicing the character in 2005′s Curse Of The Were-Rabbit. 

And according to directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, the comic included an improvised British-ism during the recording process that left their American bosses at Netflix a little worried (the film was actually a co-production between the BBC and the global streaming giant).

Speaking to The Sun, Nick explained: “Peter ad-libs quite a lot. At one point, he’s astonished at something and shouts: ‘Flippin’ Nora.’” 

He added: “One day we did get a note back to ask: ‘Who is Nora and why is she being flipped?”’

The film’s creative director, Merlin, said he had to explain: “It’s not rude, it’s not an expletive, it’s an innocent turn of phrase.” 

It’s not the first time the British comic has had to explain his jokes to viewers on the other side of the Atlantic.

In 2009, he apologised to an American crowd after performing stand-up about car boot sales and UK celebrities, saying: “I’m sorry if you found that hard to understand but there was comedy in there somewhere.” 

Speaking to Deadline Hollywood, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s executive producer, Carla Shelly, added that they felt lucky to get the comedian “back on board” at all as they worried he’d be touring at the time. 

She explained that Peter’s character is “the only one that’s aged, physically ― the others are timeless”. 

“He was just starting his tour... when we approached him, so we weren’t sure he’d be able to do it,” she added. 

Still, the producer said he was “really keen and has done an amazing job” ― Nora or not.