Russell Brand episodes taken down from Channel 4 website following allegations

Episodes of shows involving Russell Brand have been removed from Channel 4’s website in the wake of rape and sexual assault allegations against the comedian.

Four women have come forward with allegations as part of a joint investigation by Channel 4, The Times and The Sunday Times, with claims ranging from a period between 2006 and 2013. Brand has denied the allegations.

A number of episodes of series that involve Brand are no longer available to watch on Channel 4, including a 2019 edition of The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C as well as Big Brother’s Big Mouth, which Brand presented.

A spokesperson for Channel 4 said (via The Independent): “We’ve taken down all content featuring Russell Brand while we look into the matter. This includes episodes of The Great British Bake Off and the Big Brother box sets that he appeared on.”

It has also emerged that Channel 4 has begun an investigation into Brand, alongside the BBC conducting their own one, while the Metropolitan Police have asked The Times and Channel 4 investigation for information about any alleged offences and urged any victims to come forward. A domestic abuse charity has also cut ties with Brand alongside literacy agency Tavistock Wood.

As part of the four claims against Brand, one woman alleged that the comedian raped her against a wall in his LA home, and went to be treated at a rape crisis centre on the same day. A second woman alleged that Brand assaulted her when she was 16 during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship.

A third alleged that Brand sexually assaulted her in LA, and that he threatened legal action if she spoke out. A fourth claimed that Brand sexually assaulted her and said he was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.

Further allegations have since emerged from more women, according to The Times, which it says have not yet been investigated but will be “rigorously checked”.

Brand denied the “very serious criminal allegations” ahead of the reports coming out in a video posted on social media, saying that all his relationships have been consensual.

“Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute,” he said. “These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

“Now during that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well. To see that transparency metastasised into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, makes me question – is there another agenda at play?”

The comedian also performed a gig at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in London just hours after the claims emerged.

An audio clip of Brand from 2007 in which he speaks to Jimmy Savile and offers to take one of his assistants naked to the disgraced presenter was also aired as part of the Dispatches film.

NME has reached out to Brand’s representatives regarding the latest allegations.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

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