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The company that ran one of the UK's biggest comedy festivals has ceased trading. The directors of Big Difference Company - which ran Leicester Comedy Festival - announced "with great sadness" it had become insolvent and ceased trading. It comes weeks after it submitted a serious incident report to the Charity Commission over ongoing financial issues. The directors of the festival, which started in 1994, cited "increasing costs, a difficult funding environment, and significant pressures within the live comedy sector" as factors in its decision. Leicester City Council said it would work with promoters and venues "to ensure that an interim comedy festival programme can take place in 2027". Â鶹Éç Leicester's Ben Jackson spoke to one of the original founders of the festival Geoff Rowe and comedian Ben Alborough, and Â鶹Éç Leicester's political reporter Dan Martin spoke with Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby.