Lewis Capaldi cancels shows until Glastonbury to 'rest and recover'

Lewis Capaldi has cancelled a series of upcoming gigs to "rest and recover" over concerns about his health.

The Scottish singer said he was struggling "mentally and physically" and wanted to be at his best and return to the stage at Glastonbury on 24 June.

Capaldi, 26, had been scheduled to play concerts in Glasgow, Dublin, London and Norway over the coming weeks.

In an Instagram post, he said he needed a break from touring in order to be "Lewis from Glasgow for a bit".

Capaldi's recent second album, Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, became the fastest-selling of the year, with more than 95,000 sales in the seven days after its release.

Capaldi said: "It's been such an incredible time leading into this new album, and seeing all the support from everyone has been beyond I could have ever dreamed of.

"That said, the last few months have been full on both mentally and physically, I haven't been home properly since Christmas and at the moment I am struggling to get to grips with it all.

"I need to take a moment to rest and recover, to be at my best and ready for Glastonbury, and all of the other incredible shows coming up so that I'm able to continue doing what I love for a long time to come."

Capaldi said he was "extremely sorry for the impact" of the cancellations on fans who had booked travel and accommodation for the gigs.

He said: "Its an honour to get to be up here and do this for and to headline a festival still is mental to me."

Capaldi's first album, Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, sold more than any other in the UK in 2019 and also went on to be the biggest seller of 2020.