David Baddiel has denied he is to take Ecstasy on a live TV show.

According to The Sun, the comic was going to take the Class A substance, as medics examine its effect on the brain, including euphoria and reducing anxiety.

But on Twitter, Baddiel, who turns 48 today, wrote: ‘For those congratulating me...I'm not going to be taking ecstasy live on C4. I believe it was written in The Sun? So, y'know: it's a lie.’

The experiment was said to have been part of a Channel 4 series called Drug Live, hosted by newsreader Jon Snow and Embarrassing Bodies presenter Dr Christian Jessen.

Politicians, policemen and those who support the medical use of MDMA – which could be used to alleviate post-traumatic stress disorder – will appear on the show in July