Address to the TV industry

Russell Brand is to address TV executives at the prestigious Alternative MacTaggart lecture.

The comic will be interviewed by his long-time collaborator and XFM co-host Matt Morgan at the Edinburgh International Television Festival on August 24.

The event will cover Brand’s ‘’lifelong devotion to comedy’, his career and his call for revolution.

Festival director, Lisa Campbell said: ‘Thought-provoking, entertaining and with a delicious way with words, Russell is one of the most exciting creative mavericks around. 

‘Having Matt Morgan on board as someone who knows the complexities and inner workings of this titan of comedy, and who can give genuine insight into his creative brain, will make this one unmissable hour.’

The Alternative McTaggart last year featured Sharon Horgan and Frankie Boyle, who complained how comedy was far more critically scrutinised than other genres, saying: ‘Comedy gets quite heavily scrutinised – then reality TV is just a Geordie fucking some octopus.’ (Read our write-up of the event here)

Others to have previously taken part in the event, which started in 1997, include Charlie Brooker, Professor Brian Cox and Ant & Dec.

The main MacTaggart lecture is the keynote speech of the event and has previously been given by the likes of Armando Iannucci, Channel 4 chief executive David Abraham and Mark Thompson when he was BBC director-general .

Published: 27 Jun 2017