Russell Brand has pulled out of his headline slot at the Reading Festival Comedy Tent on Sunday citing severe laryngitis and doctor's orders. The truly awesome Mark Steel (The Mark Steel Lectures on BBC2, endless genius on Radio 4) will be headlining instead while Brand rests.

But will he though? Brand's official website says that when he would have been due to perform at Reading,he'll be performing a rescheduled show in Edinburgh, having pulled out of shows yesterday and today because of his laryngitis.

Fair enough. Compared to the genteel surroundings of Edinburgh, the Reading crowd at that time of night will probably be horrifying.