Russell Brand feels a responsibility to Katy

The British funnyman - whose divorce from the Part of Me singer was finalised earlier this month - says although their 14-month marriage didn't work out, he will always have loving feelings for her.

The 37-year-old star said: "It was right for as long as it was right and now it's right that we're not together. I feel a responsibility to her - she's living in all of this (Hollywood) and I don't want her to read things that make her think I have anything other than love for her. Because I don't want her to be hurt."

Russell - who married Katy in October 2010 after dating for just a year - admits marriage is "hard" and takes a lot of work.

He told Culture magazine: "It's really hard to be married to someone. So really the fact is, this is a person I love and I don't want to hurt her."

Russell is now said to be dating former talent agent Isabella Brewster while Katy is romancing Florence + the Machine guitarist Robert Ackroyd.