He's from Barcelona

I've just finished reading Russell Brand's second book(y wook), a brilliant and, at times, touching insight into his debauched world, but one chapter, entitled 'He's From Barcelona', opens with a passage that particularly tickled my fancy.

I think it might just sum up everything that's so brilliant about him whilst at the same time displaying many of the qualities his detractors so love to seize upon...

It was the biggest media event since Princess Diana died. An event that received as much news coverage as the mysterious death of the most famous woman in the world. When it happened it was blown up like 9/11. It was on the front page of every newspaper, every day, for almost a month. Every television news broadcast opened with the story. Twenty-four hour rolling news channels rolled with the news for twenty-four hours. It was analysed, debated and contested by an entire nation. Even the country's leader, the Prime Minister, was involved when it was discussed in the Houses of Parliament. What was it? A prank phonecall. And who done it? I did.