The Secret Reviewer #71: A friend in need

Every month our clandestine critic reveals the murky truths behind that infamous trade, and live comedy generally. This month: Could you cope with a cancelled colleague?

One of the more contentious bits of criticism over the last 18 months was the reaction to a book, not by a regular reviewer, but by a comic, and not a scathing takedown but a seemingly innocuous puff piece. Being nice can cause serious blowback though, depending on who you praise.

That book was the autobiography of Graham Linehan, released with a lot less fanfare than it would have done ten years earlier, before...