His acid comments might have won him a following in Britain, but Russell Brand has a lot to learn about making the Americans laugh.

Hosting the MTV Video Music Awards in Hollywood, the flamboyant 33-year- old comedian learned that it doesn't pay to be rude about the President.

Having urged the U.S. public to vote for Barack Obama 'on behalf of the world', Brand drew gasps of astonishment from the star-studded audience by calling President Bush a 'retarded cowboy'.

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Controversial: Russell Brand got political during the MTV Video Music Awards last night, endorsing Barack Obama and slamming President George Bush

Brand, who speaks unabashedly about his prior drug and sex addictions, was a surprise choice to present the event, and clearly hoped to enhance his career in the American market.

'I'm famous in the United Kingdom,' he insisted. 'My persona don't really work without fame. Without fame, this haircut could be mistaken for mental illness.' 

To loud cheers, he urged Americans to elect Democrat Barack Obama as President in November. 

Taking aim: Brand laid into George Bush

'As a representative of the global community, a visitor from abroad, I don't want to come across a little bit biased, but could I please ask of you, people of America, please elect Barack Obama, please, on behalf of the world.

'Some people, I think they're called racists, say America is not ready for a black President. 

'But I know America to be a forward-thinking country because otherwise why would you have let that retard and cowboy fella be President for eight years?

'We were very impressed. We thought it was nice of you to let him have a go because, in England, he wouldn't be trusted with a pair of scissors.'

Sadly for Brand, most of the crowd seemed unsure how to react to his remarks, which led to a bitter backlash on internet chat sites.

Blasphemous: The Brit comic shared a buggy with comeback queen Britney, whom he called 'the female Christ'

Yet he was in no mood to stop. Prowling the stage in black leather and snakeskin scarf, the comic turned on the Jonas Brothers - one of the hottest young bands in the U.S.

The sons of a pastor, they all wear 'purity rings' as a symbol of their vow to abstain from sex before marriage. But Brand displayed a ring to the audience as if he had 'won' it from a Jonas brother backstage and repeatedly mocked their symbolic jewellery.

American Idol champion - and fellow promise ring wearer - Jordin Sparks defended the brothers while presenting an award, saying: 'I just wanna say, it's not bad to wear a purity ring because not every guy and a girl wants to be a slut, OK?'

Rocking it: Christina Aguilera wowed the crowd with her track Keeps Getting Better

Turning his thoughts to Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor and would-be Republican vice-president, Brand sympathised with her daughter's boyfriend Levi Johnston, who has got her pregnant and is expected to marry her. 'That is the safe sex message of all time,' he said. 'Use a condom or become a Republican!'

Later, Brand said he felt 'a bit bad' that he kept talking about the Jonas Brothers' chastity vows.

'I'd like to take this opportunity to say, no one ever have sex again. It's a mad idea. What a way to spend an evening!'

Dark side: Rihanna performed her hit Disturbia in a leather-clad outfit

Raise me up: Rihanna enjoyed an uplifting moment during her act

Brand's questionable humour almost overshadowed the triumphant return of pop singer Britney in the post-awards press coverage.

The LA Times wrote: 'The 2008 VMAs were poised to mark the return of Britney Spears. Instead, they will go down in history as the night when that English guy from Forgetting Sarah Marshall almost made the Jonas Brothers cry.'

But the New York Times was more appreciative of Brand’s turn, saying the 'manic, intelligent English comedian, injected the show with politics (pro-Barack Obama), raunch and philosophical musings'.

All fired up: Pink gave a spectacular performance of her track So What

The Chicago Tribune wrote: 'Nobody quite knew what to make of the opening monologue of wild-haired host Russell Brand.'

MTV’s online message boards were predictably besieged by outraged Americans.

But if Brand's hosting didn't exactly go down well, the women of pop managed to salvage the show with a series of raunchy performances.

Rihanna, 20, kicked off the musical performances at the event, singing her track Disturbia complete with goth-themed leather-clad backing dancers.

And singer Pink showed off her feisty side with an energetic performance of So What that saw her slide down a fabric strip from a balcony, push a stuntman down stairs and smash a window at the back lot of the studio.

Punch line: The Jonas Brothers, who performed their hit Love Bug, also found themselves in Brand's firing line

Christina Aguilera showed off a new direction with a new-rave sounding version of her hit, Genie In A Bottle, and her new song, Keeps Getting Better, from her upcoming greatest hits album.

Not to be outdone by the girls the Jonas Brothers performed their hit, Love Bug, starting acoustically on a city street set as adoring teenage fans cheered them on.

Hip-hop star Kanye West was left to close proceedings with an outdoor performance of an unreleased love song, which he sang rather than rapped.

The MTV Video Music Awards took place at Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood.

It's a wrap: Kanye West closed the show with a tender love song

LIST OF WINNERS AT THE 2008 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS

VIDEO OF THE YEAR - Piece of Me (Britney Spears)

BEST NEW ARTIST - Tokio Hotel

BEST ROCK VIDEO - Shadow of the Day (Linkin Park)

BEST DANCING IN A VIDEO - When I Grow Up (Pussycat Dolls)

BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO - Lollipop (Lil Wayne featuring Static Major)

BEST POP VIDEO - Piece of Me (Britney Spears)

BEST MALE VIDEO - With You (Chris Brown)

BEST FEMALE VIDEO - Piece of Me (Britney Spears)

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES (PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED)

BEST DIRECTION - Honey (Erykah Badu, artist)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY - Run (Gnarls Barkley, artist)

BEST ART DIRECTION - Run (Gnarls Barkley, artist)

BEST EDITING - I Will Possess Your Heart (Death Cab for Cutie, artist)

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS - Good Life (Kanye West, artist)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Conquest (White Stripes, artist)