Russell Brand open to US 9/11 conspiracy

During a series of fractious exchanges with new presenter Evan Davis he accused the former BBC economics correspondent of being “mates with like CEOs and big businesses” and of “cosying up” to London mayor Boris Johnson.

Pressed by Mr Davis on comments in his book about the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, Brand refused to rule out the possibility that the American government was behind them – and went on to accuse the BBC of promoting an “anti-Islamic narrative” in its coverage of this week’s attack by a gunman on the Canadian parliament.

“I think it is interesting at this time when we have so little trust in our political figures, where ordinary people have so little trust in their media, we have to remain open-minded to any kind of possibility,” he said.

“Do you trust the American government? Do you trust the British government? What I do think is very interesting is the relationship that the Bush family have had for a long time with the bin Laden family.

“What I do think is very interesting is the way that even the BBC report the events in Ottawa to subtly build an anti-Islamic narrative. I think that’s very interesting.”

He then appeared abruptly to change tack, saying that he did not want to discuss “daft” conspiracy theories.

During the course of the interview, Brand repeatedly cut across Mr Davis’s attempts to press him in detail about his views telling the presenter: “Mate, I don’t want to follow you down blind alleys about silly administrative quibbles.”

At one point Mr Davis was reduced to almost pleading: “I’m trying to take you seriously.”