It may be the moment every comedian doing TV warm-up secretly hopes for.

Maff Brown will make his debut on Mock The Week tonight – after panellist Angela Barnes was taken ill at the last minute.

She was all set to record the episode on Tuesday night when her temperature shot up. Fearing coronavirus, producers sent her home, leaving Brown to step up at the last minute.

Barnes revealed the drama on her Twitter feed, posting: ‘So on Tues I was at the studio all made up and set to record Mock The Week when my temp soared. Medic decided in current circs I should be sent home, understandably. Step forward heroic warm up @maffbrown who makes his debut tonight in my place with an hour’s notice! Go Maff!’

She added that she was awaiting the results of a Covid test she had yesterday, but that she felt fine. ‘Pretty sure it’s just a regular winter bug,’ she posted.

So on Tues I was at the studio all made up and set to record Mock The Week when my temp soared. Medic decided in current circs I should be sent home, understandably. Step forward heroic warm up @maffbrown who makes his debut tonight in my place with an hour’s notice! Go Maff! https://t.co/nuQhsO4BbF

— Angela Barnes (@AngelaBarnes) December 3, 2020

It is not the first time this has happened. In the seventh series back in 2009,Ben Norris stood in for a suddenly indisposed Franke Boyle – although Norris had appeared on the panel twice before.

Brown – a former professional footballer and coach - started stand-up in 2005, after completing the Amused Moose comedy course. He quickly started his own club, Outside The Box in Kingston, South-West London, which continues to this day.

He declined to comment when approached by Chortle about the last-minute substitution.

Ria Lina also makes her debut on tonight’s show, which airs on BBC Two at 10pm, alongside fellow panellists Rhys James, Tom Allen and Ed Byrne.