'Brand'ishing the funny streak

Published on:

27 Jun 2015, 12:00 am

Russell Brand is truly controversy’s favourite child or well, grown-up. From doing a Nazi salute at an award function to dressing up as Osama bin laden a day after the 9/11 attacks, the man does not care what storm he kicks up next

W hen British comedian Russell Brand decided to visit India a month ago, some thought it to be one of those yoga retreat trips along with another A-lister Hollywood celeb. Others predicted a secret knot-tying ceremony in some quintessential palace in Udaipur. But soon the claims were quashed with the announcement that Mr Brand would headline the second

edition of Comedy Central’s Chuckle Festival in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The man might have never voted in his life but desires to

bring about a revolution that would make society fairer We list 10 things that you might not know about him:

Russell Brand had bulimia

Russell Brand suffered with weight issues as a child as he admits openly ‘I was a fat kid, not obese but chubby.’ He considers his weight as one of the reasons he suffered from depression and the eating disorder bulimia from the age of 11. Brand said of the illness: ‘It was really unusual in boys, quite embarrassing. But I found it euphoric.’

Russell Brand turned vegetarian at age 14

Brand became a vegetarian at the age of 14 and then went the whole distance and became a vegan in 2011. PETA named Brand ‘World's Sexiest Vegetarian’ in 2007. Brand said on his commitment to vegetarianism: “Even as a junkie I stayed true — ‘I shall have heroin, but I shan’t have a hamburger.’ What a sexy little paradox.”

Dad bought Russell a prostitute at 16

At sixteen years old Russell Brand took a trip to the far east with his father who he rarely spent time with. While in Hong Kong his dad took him to an establishment where they picked up three prostitutes and went back to their hotel room. Russell revealed in his book ‘In the course of the rest of that holiday, I had sex with loads more prostitutes’ as he and his father went on to visit Bali, Singapore and Thailand.

He has ADHD and bipolar disorder

British comedian Russell Brand suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. He has also be diagnosed with Bipolar — a condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another.

Brand auditioned for Boy Band Five

Russell Brand once auditioned for the boy band Five. It is now hard to imagine how he would have fit into the typical boy band group considering his less than clean cut image.

Russell Brand worked as a postman

Brand once worked as a postman, although he was not exactly employee of the month at Royal Mail. He had to say sorry for stealing from letters and birthday cards while on the job to feed his drug addiction. Apparently he only took the job in the hope of being propositioned by lonely women.

Dressed as Osama bin laden

After turning up to work dressed as Osama bin laden the day after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 it is easy to see why Brand was shown the door from his MTV presenting job.

Selected by the Dalai lama to host the Buddhist leader's 2012 Youth Event

Brand was selected by the Dalai lama to host the Buddhist leader's 2012 youth event in Manchester. The Dalai lama’s representatives explained that Brand was selected because he had proved “the power of spirituality to effect change in his own life”, while Brand stated to the BBC after the event: “I said yes because he’s the living incarnation of Buddha and I thought, if you’re around the Dalai lama, that can only be good for your spiritual quest through life. He’s an amazing diplomat, an incredible activist, a wonderful human being and an inspiration to us all.”

He has never voted

Since guest editing an edition of the New Statesman, a British weekly magazine and since then has been known as an activist and campaigner. This includes a much publicised interview with BBC’s Newsnight host Jeremy Paxman on 23 October 2013, in which he encouraged the British electorate not to vote and endorsed a system based on the “massive redistribution of wealth” to replace the status quo. Paxman challenged him by saying how can a person call for ‘revolution’ or edit a political magazine New Statesman, who has never voted in his life.

Was in a relationship with Imran Khan’s ex-wife

From 2013 to 2014, Brand was in a relationship with Imran Khan's ex-wife, Jemima Khan, an editor of the New Statesman. In an interview with Jonathan Ross in late January 2014, Brand explained that he was “very, very happy” in a relationship that felt unlike anything he had previously experienced. Brand and Khan ended their relationship in September 2014.