Big-haired Russell, who is starring in his first film St Trinian’s and is writing his autobiography, joked: "I’m not one of those celebrities who moans, ’Please don’t bother me’. I say ’For God’s sake, pester me’.

"My previous life was so boring, I want you to photograph me all the time. I hound the paparazzi day and night."

The 32-year-old added: "It’s been such an arduous, 15-year slog to get to this point, I’m certainly not going to complain about it now I’m here.

"We’re working towards complete and utter global exposure, so there’s not a hut, a satellite space station or an oil rig on the planet where people don’t know who I am."


Brits off hook for Brand’s ’edgy’ joke - June 4 2007
The Brit Awards have escaped censure by media watchdog Ofcom over jokes made by TV host Russell Brand.

The star’s comments about the Queen, drugs, Robbie Williams, Iraq, and intimate parts of the body, broadcast on ITV1, sparked 262 complaints.

The comic, 31, joked about allegations that Conservative Party leader David Cameron took drugs as a teenager.

He added: "Who among us didn’t smoke just a little bit of weed at school, just to take the edge off those irksome crack come-downs?"

But then Russell said the Cameron story was "as good an anti-drugs campaign as you’re going to get", adding "don’t take drugs you might end up leader of the Tories with a face like a little painted egg".

Viewers also complained about Russell saying it was time to find out "who has pierced the hymen of awareness to ejaculate success into the uterus of popular culture".

ITV, which began broadcasting The Brits at 8pm, before the watershed, with a 30-second delay, said most viewers would expect him to be "edgy" and "provocative".

The broadcaster said his comments didn’t glamorise, condone, or encourage drug abuse.

Ofcom said the sexual references and drug comments wouldn’t have been understood by young children.

The comments were made in a "tongue-in-cheek" style expected at a music awards ceremony broadcast after 8pm, it said.

Ofcom added: "Importantly, the overall context of the comments made by the presenter was not that drugs were acceptable."

It concluded that "there was no breach of the (broadcasting) Code".

The watchdog didn’t investigate Russell’s other comments, saying they were justified at a music event.


Russell bows out of Big Brother show - April 6 2007
Following three years as the host of Big Brother’s Big Mouth, award-winning comedian Russell Brand has announced he will not return to the show for a fourth series.

"The three years I’ve spent on Big Brother’s Big Mouth have been an unprecedented joy and I am grateful to both Channel 4 and Endemol for boldly taking the risk and employing an ex-junky twerp to front such a lovely show," he said in a statement.

"Big Mouth has afforded me opportunities that are too exciting to turn down, so alas I can do it no more. And whilst I recognise this isn’t as significant as the resignation of Beckham or the Cuban Missile Crisis, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone. Love ooh. Bye!"

A spokesperson for Channel 4 added: "Russell Brand has been a fantastic front man for E4’s Big Brother’s Big Mouth for the past three years. We wish him all the best in his new adventures."