RUSSELL BRAND - RUSSELL BRAND BACK ON AIR AND CALLING OBAMA

RUSSELL BRAND BACK ON AIR AND CALLING OBAMA

Russell Brand has returned to the radio for the first time since the prank phone call scandal that led to his resignation from the BBC – with a prank phone call to Barack Obama.

Brand is making his radio comeback on a two-hour Talksport special, co-hosted with Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher, to be aired tonight at 21:00 BST.

During the programme, Brand calls Barack Obama to find out if the US president is really a football fan, but leaves a message when there is no answer.

Brand says: "Dear Barack Obama, we are calling you to find out if you are in fact the world's most-famous West Ham supporter as it is claimed.

"I haven't ever seen you at Upton Park and what formation do you suggest Gian Franco Zola plays?"

Noel adds: "This answer phone message better not jeopardize my American visa situation."

Brand and Jonathan Ross provoked thousands of complaints after leaving comments on actor Andrew Sachs' answering machine last year.

As a result, Ross was suspended from the BBC for three months, while Brand quit his Radio 2 show.

In tonight's Talksport broadcast, Brand calls Jonathan Ross and jokes about the controversy.

Listeners will hear Ross tell Noel "We'll listen to it very carefully before it goes out.

"Noel, you can sit back and be the grown-up one."

According to the BBC, the one-off show could become permanent if it is popular with listeners.