Damian Lewis and the art of dedicating gifts

Damian Lewis revealed to Jonathan Ross that he had given a box-set of the programme to the President, signing it: “From one Muslim to another.” (Rex features)

Barack Obama is a huge fan of the television show Homeland, but it would be interesting to know what he makes of the show's lead, Damian Lewis, after the actor revealed to Jonathan Ross that he had given a box-set of the programme to the President, signing it: "From one Muslim to another."

Lewis, who portrays Sgt Nicholas Brody, an American prisoner-of-war who has converted to Islam, immediately panicked about the joke poking fun at the misconceptions and prejudices surrounding Obama, which he wrote at a White House dinner. "I couldn't take it back," he recalled. "I was then writing emails for the whole of the next week saying, 'I do hope he understands irony.'"

The dedication was slightly more humourous than one seen on a box of Bentley and Skinner silver given to the President from these shores; when Obama was pictured with it the box simply said: "From Queen of England."

The signed DVD joins some other rather odd gifts from famous types, including 50 pairs of H&M pants from David Beckham, a ping-pong table and a piece of street art by Ben Eine from David Cameron, and personalised headphones from the rapper Ludacris.