Aug 20 2005
DailyRecord
BB spin-off host Russell ends up in hospital after blood joke touches a raw nerve with Festival audience
By Claire Sawers
RUSSELL Brand is best known as the hyper host of Big Brother's Big Mouth.
A slimmer, sugar-rush version of Vernon Kay, Russell's oddball humour and puppyish enthusiasm have been winning him fans ever since he presented Big Brother's Efourum last year.
The Cockney loudmouth finished filming Channel 4's BBBM last week, and is doing stand-up at the Edinburgh Festival.
Although a sell-out act now, he hasn't always gone down well with Scots crowds.
At one rowdy Late 'n' Live show at the Gilded Balloon in the capital last year, he was beaten upby offended punters.
He spent the night in accident and emergency at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary andwas left with a long scar down his shin.
"I'd strapped these plastic packs of blood all over my body," said Russell. "I started bursting them all by bashing glasses and stuff off myself and puncturing them.That didn't go down very well. It endedup causing this massive riot and I had to be ushered out the back door because people wanted to kill me."
"I suppose I asked for it a bit. " This year's Festival show, Eroticised Humour, focuses on sex and death, plus funny stories from his time in Scotland.
Now that he doesn't set out to shock, Russell gets a good reception in Scotland.
"Compared to other stand-up gigs I've done in Britain, Scots audiences seem more cultured, more patient and understanding," he said.
"I'd much rather do a gig at the Edinburgh Fringe than at Jongleurs or the Comedy Store in London.They tend to be a lot more compassionate."
He also has a fondness for Edinburgh locals, and recruited a group of neds to hand out flyers for him the first year he played the Festival.
"I had to do my own flyering and I absolutely hate it," said Russell.
"I found these little kids, aged between eight and 12 who lived onan estate round the corner.
"They were on the street one day, being really naughty, lighting matches and throwing things about." So Russellrecruited them as his publicity team. "I really loved them but they kept getting into trouble," he said. "They came into the Gilded Balloon production offices and stole condoms off the desk."
"Eventually, they endedup in my show. I was like, 'I love kids, me.And kids love me too.' Then I'd put my arms around them and give them a cuddle.
"They'd hug me and be all smiling and stuff. Then they'd stick a sign onmy back saying 'w****r' or something."
Eventually Russell received a letter of complaint from the Gilded Balloon.
"I had to sack the children, which was pretty embarrassing," he said. "I was like, 'Sorry kids, bads news.Want a cigarette?' "They were like, 'If you sack us, we'll huvtae go back tae stealing.' "I told them, 'You are breaking my heart here, but I need to let you go'.
"This year, I promise all publicity will be done by adult professionals. It won't be nearly as much fun though.
"In fact, those kids will be a bit older now, so if they're reading this and looking for a job, I'd be happy to employ them."
Russell also landed in hot water over his no-holds-barred comments about the BB housemates on his talk show. "Craig's dad initially refused to shake my hand because he thought I'd been cruel, making nasty jokes about him on Big Brother's Big Mouth," said Russell.
"It was quite scary because he's quite a big fella. I really like Craig though. I think he's hilarious, really brilliant."
Russell reckons even the most irritating contestants still made great telly. "I enjoyed them all this year," he said.
"You watch themone day and find them so unbelievably annoying.Then the next day you're sitting thinking, 'Aaaw, I actually really love these people HE was delighted to see Geordie lad Anthony, 23, scoop the prize, and thought it was great that a die-hard Big Brother fan had won.
"He had always loved the show and wanted more than anything to win," said Russell. "He was desperate to get into the house and said himself he'd have done it even if the prize money was a toothbrush.
"He just seemed like such a nice guy."
Kemal's parents were a lot more friendly and invited Russell round for tea.
"I think I'm probably obliged to go," said Russell. "I sort of said I would. Kemal isgreat fun though. I'm sure it will be a very interesting experience."
The skinny presenter, whose non-stop wide-boy patter and twinkling brown eyes have earned him his fair share of female admirers, also took a fancy to Makosi.
"I found Makosi incredibly attractive," he said. "I have a thing for women who are cruel and powerful the way she is."
But, as boys up and down Britain argued about over pints for weeks, was she better eye candy than boob-flashing Orlaith?
"Orlaith was very pretty but I prefer my girls a bit bigger and curvier," said Russell.
"I'd have to say I preferred Saskia or Makosi to look at."
And, naming no names (Kinga), what did he make of some of the housemates' shameless attention-seeking this year?
"I'm definitely not in any position to judge people for being attention seekers," said the manwho has been arrested for flashing at police officers on a May Day march in London and fired from MTV for being too loud even for them.
"In the job I do, I'm a professional attention seeker. I think everyone wants a bit of attention in one way or another. Even terrorists if you think about it."
Russell started out on London's comedy circuit andwas once described as "Essex's Bill Hicks" after a gig at Hackney's prestigious Empire. His weird banter and mischief-making caught radio and TV bosses' attention and he worked as a radio host for X-FM and presenter of MTV's DanceFloor Chart.
Hewas as a loveable troublemaker, playing pranks on zonked-out clubbers and taking baths with homeless people.
In one comedy show, he pelted the audience with dead animals andwas filmed living with a prostitute.
But Russell went one step too far andwas sacked by MTV for taking cocaine and coming to work drunk. But he has cleaned up his act and, after a spell in rehab, is drug and drink free, and much less of a handful.
"I never, ever drink or take drugs anymore," he said. "I can't.When I come to Edinburgh for the Fringe, it's always cool meeting loads of people from Scotland and around the world.
"But I can't say I'm very interested in getting drunk and watching people deteriorate as the night goes on. I don't really do that late-night scene any more." # Eroticised Humour is at the Assembly Rooms, George Street, Edinburgh, until next Saturday. See
http://www.edfringe.com
RUSSELL'S BIG BROTHER VERDICT
ANTHONY
'He'd always loved the show and wanted so much to win
MAKOSI
'I have a thing for women who are powerful and cruel like her
ORLAITH
'She was pretty but I prefer my girls a bit bigger and curvier
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Hes brilliant