I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this show, as my only knowledge of Russell Brand was as the presenter of Big Brother’s Efourum, which was alright but a bit boring. This show thankfully has no mention of Big Brother but is about Brand’s struggle over the last few years with a heroin and crack addiction and his consequent rehabilitation.
Brand recounts his past experiences with such honesty and humour that it’s impossible not to like him. It’s an incredibly brave thing for him to do, as he looks back on himself, recognises his mistakes and makes himself the butt of his jokes. Generally, you wouldn’t think that a heroin addiction could be funny, but hearing Brand’s story about him introducing his drug dealer to Kylie Minogue dressed as Osama Bin Laden on September 12th 2001, although a bit depraved is just really funny.
It’s nice to see Brand’s approach to his audience in a more intimate environment than a TV studio, and, although it took him a while to get comfortable, he got a really positive response from people. This show is undoubtedly some form of therapy for Brand, as it gives him a chance to apologise for the behaviour that he’s not proud of and to make people understand what he stands for now.
5/5
Becky Stone
