Russell Brand

Charismatic and hilarious in equal measures, Russell Brand blends political activism and stand-up comedy with such finesse that it's hard to tell where the joke ends and the deeper message begins.

Brand constantly pokes fun at himself in a common enough self-deprecating style of stand-up, but his main objective (other than to make us laugh long, hard and repeatedly) is to break down the celebrity cult surrounding him. Brand wants to shout clearly that everybody is equal, no matter what their economic standing, background or place of birth is. He emphasises love and universal commonality, and then uses jokes to ask: why do we persecute some people for what they do/think/believe in? Why do we always put the rich fuckers in charge? Why do we fear people born in a different place to us? I've no doubt that there were many in the 6000+ audience who might usually feel confronted by radical left views, but the charm and disarming nature of Brand meant he was able to camouflage his ideology within Hitler stories, Jesus-approved anal sex simulations and (of course) plenty of dick jokes, to the point that his audience barely registered they were being taught something hugely important. It is his way with words and people that makes Russell Brand not only one of the world's best comedians, but potentially a major positive force for social change.