Russell Brand

Russell Brand has courted controversy everywhere he has gone. Not only has he courted it, he also took it to a night club, slept with it and then spoke about it in a show.

Russell actually started his career in stand up comedy. He finished fourth in the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year in 2000 and went to Edinburgh in a show that featured Mark Felgate and Shappi Khorsandi the same year.

It was also in 2000 that Russell became a TV presenter, being a VJ for MTV. It was one of many jobs that he was fired from for what should be described as 'differences of opinion'.

Russell took his first one man show, Better Now, to the Edinburgh Festival in 2004 and returned the following year with Eroticised Humour. He then toured the country in 2006, 2007 and the world in 2009.

Over the years, Russell's popularity and acclaim as a stand up has increased dramatically, winning awards for Best Stand Up in 2006 from Time Out and Loaded, and in 2008 from The British Comedy Awards.

Russell Brand has a very confessional style of humour. He is not ashamed of anything in his past, and even if he is, he certainly isn't afraid of telling a hall full of strangers.

He tells of his drug addiction with a candid bonhomie that makes you realise he has both learnt from his mistakes, and that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and funnier.

Instead of using everyday observations to fuel his material, Russell uses anecdotes from his wild, celebrity filled life to break down the wall between the audience and fame. In theory, it's not something we can relate to, but in practice Russell is one of us, experiencing the same ups and downs and painting celebrity life as just normal life but with famous people.

Russell Brand is probably best known for his TV and radio work, and the controversy that has come along with it.

He was fired from MTV for dressing like Osama bin Laden on 12 September 2001, and from Xfm for reading pornographic material on air. He left his show on Radio 2 for making obscene phone calls to actor Andrew Sachs.

Russell did however have a very successful time presenting Big Brother spin off show Big Brother's Big Mouth on E4. He has also had his own chat shows on both MTV and Channel 4.

He released the first half of his life story, entitled 'My Booky Wook' in 2007, with the second part released in 2010.

Russell has also made his name in America, having presented both the 2008 and 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. His acting career is now taking off too, having reprised his role of Aldous Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall for 2010's Get Him To The Greek. He is set to star in remakes of both Arthur and Drop Dead Fred in 2011.

Russell Brand is the rock star of comedy. Although at times he may embody this cliché, he has also terrific drive and a wonderful sense of humour which makes you warm to him, even though he dresses like a pirate Keith Richards.

Did You Know?:

Russell Brand's first foray in to the dramatic arts was playing Fat Sam in a school production of Bugsy Malone aged 15. He then ate all the custard pies and slept with the entire cast, we guess.