David Gregory Pulls a Chris Matthews on Leno

L to R: David Gregory and Russell Brand

Like Matthews like Gregory.

NBC MTP host David Gregory appeared on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno Monday night and dinged the guest, Russell Brand, an English comedian sitting next to him. (Was it the exposed chest hair that Gregory couldn’t take seriously?)

After Leno put Gregory and Brand in a faux bubbling hot tub to depict the new set of MTP, Gregory and Leno segued into a serious enough chat about politics. Brand interrupted the pair with a half-naked picture of Venus Williams that showed her rump. Gregory wasn’t having it. “Russell, Russell, The adults are talking,” he said, dismissing Brand, which only made the wild-haired comedian chatter on about the naked picture.

Perhaps Gregory took a lesson from the playbook of his MSNBC colleague, Chris Matthews. Last week on the same program, Matthews offered this zinger to E!’s Chelsea Handler, who was sitting next to him on the sofa and razzed him for talking so fast. Matthews turned and snapped, “You know, my dear, you are beautiful, but if you concentrate you could keep up.”

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