Russell Brand returning to the BBC

Russell Brand is set to return to the BBC to film a documentary about addiction - four years after he left the British network following the notorious phone prank on Andrew Sachs.

The controversial funnyman quit his BBC radio show in 2008 after he and fellow U.K. broadcaster Jonathan Ross were heavily criticized for leaving "grossly offensive" messages on TV star Andrew Sachs' answering machine during a live broadcast, in which the pair discussed Russell Brand's fling with the 80-year-old's granddaughter Georgina Baillie.

However, the Forgetting Sarah Marshall star is set to return to the network to work on a new show, which will explore issues regarding alcohol and drug addictions.

A BBC spokesman says, "We are working with Russell on a program about addiction in the U.K. but it's currently only in its early stages."

Russell Brand is all too familiar with addiction issues - the former hellraiser previously suffered from alcohol, sex and drug addiction before successfully turning his life around.