Russell Howard: Our political leaders are beneath us

He said he is concerned that the people in power are causing more division among the population than ever before.

The British TV comic, who has hosted his own BBC Three programme and had a long-running stint on panel show Mock The Week, is known for his sardonic take on politics and other news.

Russell, 36, is about to embark on a world tour and said a lot of his new routine will focus on politics and “loads of stuff about anger”.

He told NME magazine, on the subject of his Round The World show: “It’s mostly politics and anger at the moment.

“I don’t think we’ve ever been more divided. It’s only right-wing f***-knuckles that grab the public’s attention – Farage or Trump or Le Pen or Wilders from Holland.

“You think, ‘Where are our Gandhis? Where are our Martin Luther Kings?’”

Russell said, of his political persuasion: “I think all our leaders are utterly beneath us.

“You just watch Prime Minister’s Questions and go, ‘How is this the best that we’ve got?’”

He said he has been asked by political parties for advice about talking to young people but that he is “not the go-to person to fix this country”.

Russell quipped: “You know you’re in real trouble when you’re thinking: ‘OK, ask that bloke off the telly, see what he thinks.’”

He will be taking his stand-up tour to China and Dubai along with other locations later this year, but Howard said he has not yet considered the possibility of getting into trouble with his routine.

He said: “I’ll just crack on and do whatever, I think. Hopefully I don’t end up in prison for a f***ing joke.”

The full interview with Russell Howard is in NME magazine, on sale March 3.