Immigration Mix up Left Brand Feeling like a Common Criminal

Comedian RUSSELL BRAND is laughing about a recent U.S. immigration mix up that forced him to scrap a string of TV interviews and head home to Britain - but he felt like "a common criminal" at the time.

The funnyman made his return to America for an appearance on Thursday night's (15May08) Late Night with David Letterman and explained why he had to pull out of the show last month (Apr08).

Brand was booked to promote his new movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but Letterman had to make last-minute plans when the actor was forced to board a plane back to the U.K.

He explains, "I arrived at New York immigration, and I was taken to the secondary immigration where I was met by a lady... who was very assertive to me. I was escorted back to my plane by two burly-armed guards."

Brand admits it wasn't the first time he had encountered trouble with border officials - he has previously admitted to being quizzed by immigration authorities in relation to his previous drug convictions.

He jokes, "I was turned out of this country like a common criminal - when you can see that actually, I'm rather a real one. There was a lot of criminal activity. That's all behind me.

"I think they thought I was lying. I think they looked at my hair and thought I was a fantasist. They said, 'No man with this haircut will be allowed on to American television. It will negatively affect the country's morality."