This came as a surprise.

Russell Brand has been asked to present the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Rating went up the roof for this year’s show.

Russell today sat down with the Sun for an interview.

He says: “The executive producer came up to me straight after the show and asked me to sign up to do next year’s awards too. The viewing figures went up 20 per cent on last year’s show, which is unbelievable. I’m really flattered.”

On hosting the MTV VMAs:
“The VMAs are the hardest thing I have ever done and I will think very carefully before accepting their kind offer of doing it again. I spent a lot of time suppressing the urge to scream a career- ending remark during the show. The knowledge that you could say something that would make the world go nuts was difficult.”

On being censored by MTV’s producer:
But incredibly the script we heard was the clean version after MTV insisted he scrap some of his bravest gags. He revealed: “I had JOHN McCAIN gags pulled. And they asked me to tone down the gags about SARAH PALIN. I wanted to say she was forcing her teenage daughter to have a baby because she is so anti-abortion. But also, as a Republican, she is pro-execution so she is going to give her the electric chair for being a little sl*t. They weren’t keen on that one.”

On the sexy pop stars:
He also filmed a scene with CHRISTINA AGUILERA for the movie while on the Paramount set. He revealed: “Christina was amazing. She is unbelievable — a perfect object. How could you ever talk to her about anything other than sex?

“In the scenes with Pink and Katy Perry I had to do kissing. I got to snog them both in a day.

“Katy Perry is lovely. She is the kind of girl who would skip down stairs lightly.

“Pink is a lovely woman — a forceful, sexy woman. With both of them I didn’t act, the acting stopped.”

Russell Brand did OK, he was less annoying than when he was on British TV.