Les Dennis tour 'a flop'

Dennis says he is "going back to his roots"

Comedian and TV host Les Dennis could be performing his one-man show in front of virtually empty auditoriums, according to a report.

The Sun newspaper reported that sales for his UK tour at three venues were a "flop" and were at less than 5% of capacity.

The tour, which begins on 4 May and visits 13 venues, is billed as an evening of comedy, looking "back on a career celebrating 30 years".

We have high hopes that door trade will be good

International Artistes

The tour's operator refused to comment on ticket sales but said the shows would make a "terrific and very funny evening".

"We have high hopes that door trade will be good," the statement from International Artistes said.

Dennis hit the headlines late last year when his seven-year marriage to Amanda Holden ended.

Earlier in the year, Dennis was one of the celebrity inmates on Channel 4's Big Brother.

The marriage with Holden ended last year

More recently, he has made a guest appearance in ITV's daytime soap Crossroads.

The Sun reported that ticket sales at the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon, where the tour begins, were just 37 out of a capacity of 617.

It reported that the Epsom Playhouse had sold 21 out of 400 tickets while the Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon, had sold 27 out of 775 tickets.

No-one from the theatres was available for comment.

The statement from the operator said: "Les is going back to his comedy roots and this is just a toe in the water.

"We haven't nationally advertised or promoted the show and although Les cut his teeth on stand-up and was a very successful TV comic people tend to forget that as, in recent years he is better known for presenting Family Fortunes."