Forthcoming plans for the wild-haired comedian include appearances in the Reese Witherspoon film Penelope, ITV series Cold Blood, and the eagerly awaited film St Trinian’s opposite Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Stephen Fry and Emily Watson.

He is also working on a new Channel 4 series for the autumn.

Russell wins top performer award - Mar 24 2007
Russell Brand has scooped an award for best UK performer in a non-acting role.

The Brits host, 31, got the gong for The Russell Brand Show and Russell Brand’s Got Issues, both on Channel 4, as well as Big Brother’s Big Mouth and his MTV show.

Dame Helen Mirren continued her winning streak at the Broadcasting Press Guild’s 33rd annual Television and Radio Awards.

The Oscar-winning Queen star won best actress for ITV1’s Prime Suspect: The Final Act as Det Supt Jane Tennison.

Jim Broadbent was named best actor for his role as Lord Longford in Channel 4 drama Longford, about the campaigner’s relationship with Myra Hindley.

Longford also won the award for best single drama.

Time-travelling BBC1 show Life On Mars took two awards - for best drama and the writer’s award.

BBC1’s Planet Earth won best documentary/factual series and scooped the innovation in broadcasting award, for its new filming methods.

The BBC won eight of the 14 non-performance categories.

Stephen Fry: The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive, on BBC2, was named best single documentary.

Caroline Aherne’s The Royle Family: Queen Of Sheba, an hour-long special on BBC1, took the comedy/entertainment award.

Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather, for Sky One, won the award for best multi-channel programme.

The award for outstanding contribution to children’s broadcasting went to Anne Wood, whose credits include Rosie And Jim, Tots TV, Roland Rat and Rub A Dub Tub.

Hundreds complain about Russell - Feb 15 2007
The Brits’ return to live broadcasting last night sparked hundreds of complaints about host Russell Brand’s risque jokes. see photos

ITV1 had received around 300 calls and emails from irate viewers by first thing this morning, and they are continuing to flood in, while media watchdog Ofcom logged a further 100.

Loudmouth Russell, known for his near-the-knuckle humour, poked fun at the Queen, Tory leader David Cameron and pop star Robbie Williams.

He also shocked the audience with a joke about the recent "friendly fire" tragedy in Iraq, which failed to raise a laugh.

"I think a good international breakthrough would be if the British and American soldiers tell each other where they are standing.

"Alternatively they could use a system I learned at school, where one team takes off their tops and the others don’t. This makes the team distinction clear. It allows you to see fat lads’ boobs, which can really lift the mood in a drab football match - or indeed a war."

And as part of another bizarre gag, he said: "Can you genuinely say that if someone gives you an envelope with a photo of the Queen’s privates inside, you wouldn’t have a look?"

The showbiz bash was shown live on ITV1 - albeit with a 30-second delay - and swearing was bleeped out before the watershed.

The channel said the complaints were about the host rather than bad language, and despite the furore, it was happy with his performance.