Russell Brand still battles drug cravings

Russell Brand would rather be a drug addict than a famous comedian and actor.

The funnyman, who previously battled drug addiction, made the shock confession while filming BBC Three documentary Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery, due to air this month.

In a clip obtained by The Sun newspaper, Brand watches a recording of himself smoking heroin in a small apartment in London's Hackney and, despite being clean from drugs for 10 years, the star admits he still has cravings and sometimes wishes he could give up his current life in favour of how he lived in his 20s.

In the documentary, he says, "This is when you know it's a disease. It doesn't matter that I was sat in that flat in Hackney and now I'm in the Savoy (Hotel). I'm jealous of me then. It doesn't make a difference to me. The money, the fame, the power, the sex, the women - none of it. I'd rather be a drug addict."

However, Brand insists he is well aware of the negative impact the toxic substances had on him and his loved ones.

He adds, "Heroin is a greedy drug, it'll take everything. First it'll take your money. Then it'll take your friends, your family, your car, your house. Then it's going to take bits of your body. In the end I used to be scoring with people that had eyes missing, limbs missing. You'll take it until it takes your life. It'll take everything until the last thing and you'll gladly give it that rather than give up the drugs."