Mischa Barton has confessed that she is harbouring a crush on Russell Brand.

The 21-year-old actress was blown away when she spotted the flamboyant TV presenter in Los Angeles recently.

She said of Brand: "I saw him in LA and thought, wow, he looks like a character from a novel. I really want to get to know him."

Barton split from her boyfriend Cisco Adler last month amidst rumours that he objected to her partying lifestyle.