Viewers furious over host’s risque Brand of humour

THE Brit awards’ return to live broadcasting on Wednesday night sparked hundreds of complaints about host Russell Brand’s risque jokes.

ITV1 had received around 300 complaints from irate viewers by first thing yesterday morning, and they are continuing to flood in.

First-time host Brand, known for his near-the-knuckle humour, poked fun at the Queen, Tory leader David Cameron and pop star Robbie Williams.

Brand opened the show by joking about allegations that Conservative leader David Cameron smoked cannabis as a schoolboy.

The former crack addict and E4 star said: “It’s the best anti-drugs message. Don’t take drugs or you’ll end up leader of the Tories.”

As part of another bizarre gag, he said: “Can you genuinely say that if someone gives you an envelope with a photo of the Queen’s privates inside, you wouldn’t have a look?”

Robbie Williams, currently being treated in a rehab clinic for his addiction to prescription drugs, was also the butt of Brand’s jokes.

Pointing to a giant padlock on the stage, he said it was “Robbie Williams’ medicine cabinet”.

The showbiz bash was shown live on ITV1 — albeit with a 30-second delay — for the first time since 1989.

Swearing was bleeped out before the watershed and ITV1 said the complaints were about Brand rather than any bad language.

Media watchdog Ofcom said the majority of complaints it received concerned “the tone of the jokes made during the ceremony”.