In 2006 Russell Brand exploded onto the international comedy scene Before the fame, however, Russell's life was anything but glamorous His father left when he was three months old, he was bulimic at age 12 and he began drinking heavily and taking drugs by age 16 He regularly visited prostitutes in Soho, began cutting himself, took drugs on stage during his stand-up shows, and even set himself on fire while on crack cocaine In 2003 Russell was told that he would be in prison, a mental hospital, or dead within six months unless he went into rehab He has now been clean for three years, and hasn't looked back since This is Russell's amazing story