Russell Brand claims he "would rather be a drug addict" than be famous.

The provocative British comedian - who has been sober for more than 10 years after previously battling heroin addiction - is "jealous" of his former self and confessed he would give up his current success to get back his old life on narcotics during an interview for his new BBC Three documentary, Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery.

"This is when you know it's a disease. It doesn't matter that I was in that flat in Hackney and now I'm in the Savoy. 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," Russell declared after watching old footage of himself doing drugs.

Despite his comments, the Arthur actor acknowledged the devastating effects of drugs, and explained how his addiction blighted his life. "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," he admitted. The 37-year-old star is lobbying for society to treat drug addicts differently and the documentary chronicles his own troubled past as well as his present activism.