Cuckoo over doing bird

Christian Slater turned the airwaves blue yesterday when asked about his criminal past.

The renowned Hollywood hellraiser, who once spent 59 days in jail for assaulting his wife, was on Radio 5 Live to publicise his lead West End role as Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

But the actor saw red when DJ Simon Mayo asked if his prison experiences influenced his performance as a convict who pretends to be mad and ends up in an asylum - a role made famous by Jack Nicholson.

After a surprised pause, Slater, 35, said: 'Hey, you little sneak, how much time do I have?' He asked Mayo to repeat the question, then told him: 'You cheeky bastard.'

A 5 Live spokeswoman said: 'It was all goodhumoured. He didn't mean it seriously.'