He started his career as a doctor in Manchester, but is now best known for playing pranks on high-profile targets.

Simon Brodkin and his comedy alter-ego Lee Nelson were the focus of an hour-long documentary on Channel 4 last night, entitled Britain’s Greatest Hoaxer.

In 2015 he spent several hours in the custody of Swiss police after muscling into a Fifa press conference and showering its disgraced president, Sepp Blatter, with banknotes.

Two years earlier another of his characters, footballer Jason Bent, joined the Manchester City team as they warmed up on the pitch at Goodison Park.

In 2014 he almost managed to board the England football team's charter plane to the World Cup in Brazil after turning up on the tarmac wearing a “Team England” suit he had bought in Marks & Spencer.

Last night viewers saw the length that Mr Brodkin goes to ensnare his victims, as he masqueraded as a strictly orthodox Jewish rapper auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent.

Among other stunts, the programme focused on Mr Brodkin’s confrontation with Donald Trump, whom he pelted with swastika-emblazoned golf balls.

In another daring prank, Brodkin also renamed Sir Philip Green's £100million super yacht BHS Destroyer in the wake of the retail scandal.