Around 500 comedy fans were left disappointed after TV funnyman Joe Pasquale was forced to cancel a Black Country performance.

The Essex-born comedian was due to appear at Dudley Concert Hall last night in front of a sell-out crowd.

However he was caught up in hours of delays on the M25 following a crash near the M11 turn-off and had to call off the show less than three hours before he was due on stage at 7.30pm.

Organisers managed to contact the majority of the audience to let them know about the cancellation before they set out, but a handful who made their way to the venue were turned away.

A full refund or tickets to a rescheduled performance will be issued, bosses pledged.

Pasquale, a television and pantomime favourite for years, won a new legion of fans as champion of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! in 2004.

The 48-year-old squeaky-voiced entertainer, speaking ahead of his expected appearance in Dudley, said he loved being on stage “with the crowd buzzing”.