In the early 1980s he appeared in a memorable Yellow Pages commercial as a father who tried to dissaude his son from having a racing bike for his birthday, the advert ending with the line "I was right about that saddle though!". It was this which brought him to the attention of Granada Television and an audition as Bill Webster. In February 2014 it was reported that Peter had beaten bowel cancer. He has expressed interest as returning as Bill Webster, especially after Michael Le Vell was cleared of abuse charges and due to return as Kevin Webster.