Hands up if you thought you'd heard the last of silver-tongued lothario / bouffanted babe-magnet / formerly tortured drug addict (or whatever else the tabloids are calling him this week) Russell Brand when he skipped off to LA in an attempt to make it big in America?

Ok, maybe it was just us, but it seems that Russell's making more waves than I'd have given him credit for. Not only was the flick in which he starred - Forgetting Sarah Marshall - a moderate success, but now he's following in the footsteps of US heavyweights Jack Black, P Diddy and Chris Rock by presenting MTV's Video Music Awards. How on earth did he swing that one?

Brand has said that it'll be "good to preside over what is sure to be only vaguely co-ordinated televised insanity". We say we want to see if he can beat the 400 odd complaints he got when he presented last years Brit Awards – be ready to be offended, America.

BBC News: Russell Brand to host MTV Awards