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SAVAGE RUSSELL BRAND developed his cruel sense of humour as a vicious school bully, I can reveal.

The former heroin addict, who loves to humiliate guests on his TV shows, repeatedly picked on fellow pupils and made their lives hell with nasty jokes and personal jibes.

One former secondary schoolmate said the comic would single out girls and weaker pupils for particularly callous taunts.

I tracked down Clare Honeywell, who was in the same year as Brand at The Grays School in Essex.

She said he constantly picked on her and wouldn’t stop even when the headmaster got involved.

The hotel worker and mum-of-two revealed: “Russell made my life hell. He was a horrible person.

“He picked on me throughout school. He could see I was vulnerable and weak and he was unrelenting in his abuse.

“It hit a peak in the third year and the headmaster became involved, but even then it still continued.

“He felt he was above the school rules and could not be stopped.

She continued: “I can’t bear to watch him on TV. I saw a bit of his new show — and he makes ironing look interesting.”

Russell, best known as the host of E4’s Big Brother’s Big Mouth, launched his own chat show on the digital channel last month, called Russell Brand’s Got Issues. It has been a ratings flop.

The star has told of his own schooldays being blighted by bulimia from the age of 11 and depression because of the break-up of his parents’ marriage.

He left the comprehensive in 1990, aged 15, to attend a stage school in London. Claire Sage was also in the same form class as the future host, and like her friend Clare was pleased to see the young Brand leave.

The accounts assistant said: “He was really mean to people. He used to spot a weakness and use it to show them up.

“There was one guy in our year that had a stutter and Russell used to pick on that.

“The boy just shrank into himself. It was appalling.

“Another girl was a bit overweight and he made her life hell. He seemed to really get off on the misery he caused her.”

The friends say sex-addict Russell, who has been linked to a string of beauties and famously spent a night at supermodel KATE MOSS’s house, had high standards for women even then.

Clare said: “He had a very specific type. He loved tall, voluptuous girls and didn’t go with just anyone.

“They were always good-looking with big boobs.”