There seem to be two distinct lines of communication from the Winehouse camp: the record company is euphemistically claiming Amy has health issues and has been ordered to take complete rest.

However, Amy is tooting a different tune – she doesn’t “want to do the shows half-heartedly”, but feels that without the upstanding citizen that she calls husband, “it’s just not the same”.

Regardless of which version you believe, the fact is that Amy is rapidly becoming a joke. Live, Winehouse gigs will either be a complete shambles or she won’t show up at all. 9 out of 10 punters would probably prefer her to stay at home right now.

Up until this point, I’ve been fairly supportive of Amy’s personal demons being played out in the tabloids. However, she’s got to the stage where she’s now damaging her professional reputation. My guess is that her management are cancelling the tour to save face. I’d imagine there are several record execs with their fingers crossed that Amy pulls out of this nosedive soon.