Live TV havoc as Wigan rock star Richard Ashcroft holds court

The 47-year-old former Verve frontman was on Breakfast News yesterday morning to promote his new album, Natural Rebel.

He had presenter Naga Munchetty in stitches by leaping over the famous red couch during an off-the-cuff diversion about the Jim Carey movie The Truman Show and again when he lounged full length on it.

Ashcroft also joked about his competition in the charts and co-host Charlie Stayt’s “perfect head of hair.”

At times it was difficult to follow the musician’s train of thought as he hopped from one subject to the other. Dressed in a navy suit and dark sunglasses, he introduced himself to viewers by bizarrely declaring: “Good morning England. Good morning my family... I believe it’s half-term at the moment. Stop eating those Krave cereal!”

Asked why he was wearing sunglasses, he said it was to maintain his rock star image and that he was the only one in the studio entitled to do so.

After the couch episode, redolent of Hollywood star Cruise’s odd behaviour on the Oprah Winfrey show 12 years ago, the hosts tried to restore order by showing an album clip only for it to end with Ashcroft lying full length on the sofa.

See the clip here