Is Russell Brand a bit like Mario Balotelli?

It feels like neither man can go for a week without saying or doing something to cause a massive Twitter storm.

The comedian has said he's "open-minded" about the idea the US government might have been behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

As anyone who's ever Googled "9/11 conspiracy theories" knows, this is a bit like chucking petrol at the internet and lobbing in a lit match.

The comedian was talking to BBC Newsnight about why he thinks politics is dead.

In his book, Revolution, he comments on the 9/11 attacks and the possibility that the American government was involved in them.

Almost 3,000 people died in 2001 when passenger airliners were hijacked and flown into the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon building, the headquarters of the US military, in Virginia.

A fourth plane was targeted at Washington DC but crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Brand described the "interesting" relationship between the families of former US president George Bush and the one-time al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed by US special forces in 2011.

The Bin Ladens are a wealthy family with well-known connections to Saudi royalty.

It has long been claimed they have been involved in business deals in the oil market with the US.

Brand said: "I think it is interesting at this time when we have so little trust in our political figures, where ordinary people have so little trust in their media, we have to remain open-minded to any kind of possibility.

"Do you trust the American government? Do you trust the British government?"

On Twitter, there was a mixture of outrage and weariness at Brand saying something a bit shocking, again.

Dan Hodges, from the Telegraph, tweeted: "Russell Brand is basically becoming a Left wing Nigel Farage. A cult leader."

@ClaphamDon said: "Russell Brand threw away any remaining semblance of credibility by coming out as a 911 'truther'"

@Pundamentalist said: "This Russell Brand is definitely the best Sacha Baron Cohen character so far."

@Kieran_C added: "The problem with Russell brand is that he's clearly cleverer than most people think he is but a lot stupider than everyone else thinks he is."

'Mate, I don't want to follow you down blind alleys'

Later in the interview with Evan Davis, he appeared to change tack, saying that he did not want to discuss "daft" conspiracy theories.

Brand repeatedly cut across attempts to press him in detail about his views, telling the presenter: "Mate, I don't want to follow you down blind alleys about silly administrative quibbles."

Davis responded: "I'm trying to take you seriously."

The two men did not exchange shirts at the beginning, middle nor end of the interview.

Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube