Russell Brand Cancels Tour Dates To Spend Time With his Mum, Who Has Breast Cancer

Sad news has emerged from camp Russell Brand; the comedian, activist and actor’s mother – Barbara - has been diagnosed with breast cancer, forcing Brand to disappoint some of his fans by cancelling a string of dates for his Messiah Complex tour. There were doubts over the comedian’s own health when he pulled out of his Glasgow show due to “family reasons” and cancelled a sold out Derby gig.

Russell Brand has halted his tour to spend more time with his mother, Barbara

It has emerged, though, that the reason behind Brand’s cancelled dates is his mother’s ill health. He spoke about the issue on his YouTube channel, ‘The Trews’, which aims to offer an alternative take on the media consumed by Brits.

"I don't feel that this is helping,” Brand joked, pointing to a rather tasteless campaign from The Sun regarding breast cancer. “The NHS, which is slowly being destroyed, that's quite useful. The support groups she's attended that the NHS encouraged (are useful), but this, I don't know if it's doing my mum a lot of good [sic]."

Barbara Brand was first diagnosed with cancer while Russell was a young lad; when he was "too young, in fact, to properly comprehend what was happening, only old enough to sense the tingling presence of fear." She battled uterus cancer when Brand was 8, and later survived breast cancer only a year later.

The Messiah Complex, Brand’s current tour, explores some of his favourite and most influential heroes: Ghandi, Malcolm X and Che Guevara, with nods to figures of history like Jesus and Hitler. The show combines Brand’s frenetic, risqué and explosive live dynamic, while using comedy as a conduit for some important and pertinent political and social ideas. We at Contact Music wish Barbara a full and healthy recovery.