Piers Morgan joins boxing legend Mike Tyson on his podcast

SUNDAY, APRIL 7 

Flew into Los Angeles and a US immigration official got very excited when he saw me.

‘You’re a movie star, right?’ he exclaimed, causing Colin Farrell, who’d been on the same flight, to raise an eyebrow so high I feared it might rip off his head.

‘Right,’ I replied, which is technically true given I’ve now appeared (as myself) in eight films that have collectively grossed more than $1.8 billion.

‘I knew it!’ exclaimed the immigration man. ‘What’s your next film?’

‘Erm, well, I can’t say too much at this stage,’ I hedged.

‘Of course,’ he winked. ‘Can’t wait to see it!’

Amusingly, tonight I received an email asking if I’d like a cameo in the new Men In Black blockbuster, as ‘an alien living among us’.

This is perfect casting.

My official US visa status, I kid you not, is: ‘Alien of extraordinary ability.’

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10

I wasn’t the only one to have an interesting encounter with LAX immigration officials.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, with whom I had breakfast this morning at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, tried to bring in Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs last week to give to some young LA-based relatives, but to his astonishment they were confiscated.

Incredibly, they remain illegal in the US because they contain small toys. Or as the official reason puts it: ‘The embedded non-nutritive objects in these confectionary products may pose a public health risk as the consumer may unknowingly choke on the object.’

So America allows freely available guns that kill 32,000 people a year in the US, but won’t allow Kinder Surprise eggs that have accidentally killed a reported total of seven people in the entire world, despite billions being consumed?

Ridiculous.

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

Mike Tyson interviewed me today for his new Hotboxin’ podcast, during which he chats and smokes pot.

The former world heavyweight champion is launching a cannabis ranch resort to cash in on the fast-growing pot business in California, where the drug is now legal. I found him sitting on a sofa in his offices near Manhattan Beach, smoking a massive spliff.

Mike Tyson (above) interviewed me today for his new Hotboxin’ podcast, during which he chats and smokes pot; I’ve never seen him happier or calmer

‘Hi Champ!’

Tyson jumped up, gave me a bear hug and we walked through into his studio, already awash with smoke and the smell of weed.

For the next 90 minutes we had a fascinatingly deep conversation about everything from guns (‘There should be tougher restrictions’) and Donald Trump (‘I like him, he’s always been good to me’) to his boxing heroes (‘Muhammad Ali WAS the greatest’), his beloved pigeons (‘I have 2,000 now, I enjoy speaking to them’) and his new favourite tipple, psychedelic Sonoran Desert toad venom. (‘It’s wild stuff and takes me to amazing places.’)

As our chat wound up, I picked up one of the remaining spliffs on the table, looked at Tyson and said: ‘When in Rome, Champ… got a light?’ He exploded with laughter as he passed me a lighter and carried on roaring as I lit up the joint and took a long – legal! – puff.

Tyson has a framed, signed photo of Frank Sinatra in his office with the singer’s immortal quote: ‘The best revenge is massive success.’

‘That’s so true,’ chuckled Tyson. ‘Just ask Tiger Woods.’

We hugged again and he handed me a goody-bag of gifts of the leaf variety.

Whatever your side of the debate about marijuana – I view it as less dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes – I’ve never seen a happier, calmer Mike Tyson.

One of the few things still bothering him is that he’s currently banned from entering Britain due to a change in immigration rules in 2013, which means anyone sentenced to more than four years in prison isn’t allowed in.

‘I’m so sad about it,’ said Tyson, who received a six-year jail sentence (he served three) for rape in 1992. ‘I love Britain, and the British people have always been so good to me.’

It seems irrational to me that we regularly welcomed Mike Tyson to Britain when he was the ‘baddest man on the planet’ but now shun him when he’s matured into a very different, safer and nicer man.

Judging by our enlightening debate about young people and crime, I would love to see the ban lifted so he can come and speak to the troubled teenagers currently killing each other with knives.

They’re far more likely to listen to him than any politician.

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

Flew on to New York, and as we landed, news broke that a comedian named Volodymyr Zelensky with zero political experience has become President of Ukraine.

Coincidentally, Aaron Sorkin, genius creator of The West Wing, was seated behind me, so I told him the stunning development.

‘WOW! Politics is getting so surreal,’ he gasped.

‘More than you think,’ I replied. ‘This guy starred in a TV political satire called Servant Of The People, in which his character accidentally became president of Ukraine.’

Sorkin laughed loudly, right to the point when he realised I wasn’t actually joking.

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

Dinner at my favourite New York restaurant, Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar. Sitting nearby was baseball legend Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez, who has just got engaged to Jennifer ‘J-Lo’ Lopez.

He appeared on Good Morning Britain a few months ago, and when I asked him if he ever wakes up next to Jennifer and thinks, how the hell did I get this lucky?, he laughed: ‘I just hope she doesn’t wake up and say, “OK, your time is up, get out!”’

He stopped at our table and said: ‘Piers, thanks for such a great interview. I was scared you were going to chew me up but you were so nice to me!’

I didn’t point out that I tend not to chew up burly 6ft 3in, 230 lb athletes.

‘She didn’t kick you out then?’ I laughed.

‘No, thankfully! I’m a very lucky, very happy man.’ 

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