Russell Brand claims ‘bosses enabled him to be a nutter’ at height of success as long as they ‘made money’ in resurfaced interview with Lorraine Kelly amid allegations of rape and sexual assault
- READ MORE: Sex allegations against star are probed as his father defends him
Russell Brand claimed his ‘bosses enabled him to be a nutter’ at the height of his success ‘as long as they made money’ in a resurfaced interview with Lorraine Kelly.
During Monday’s episode of Lorraine, the host, 63, recounted her ‘many interviews’ with the disgraced comedian, 48, and shared a snippet from his 2017 appearance.
Russell has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women during the peak of his fame, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.
The explosive allegations are said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, while Brand was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4. He has denied the claims.
Lorraine interviewed the journalist behind The Times’ expose before showing the clip, in which Russell claims he was ‘enabled’ by those making money out of him.
Admission: Russell Brand, 48, claimed his ‘bosses enabled him to be a nutter’ at the height of his success ‘as long as they made money’ in a resurfaced interview with Lorraine Kelly (pictured on the show in 2017)
Reflecting: During Monday’s episode of Lorraine, the host, 63, recounted her ‘many interviews’ with the disgraced comedian, 48, and shared a snippet from his 2017 appearance (pictured last week)
In 2017, the actor appeared on the show to talk about his book Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions, with the presenter saying: ‘They sort of allow you to work in a certain way. You’re enabled.’
He replied: ‘I think the point of the book is to explain why I stopped taking drugs, stopped being obsessed with sex, with money.
‘If you’re in a position of some success, people will allow you to be a nutter if they’re making money out of it – drinking, drugs, it’s not good to live like that.’
MailOnline has contacted Brand’s former employers the BBC and Channel 4 for comment.
The Times and Sunday Times claim ‘several women’ have come forward with undisclosed allegations about Brand’s behaviour during the early 2000s in wake of their joint investigation with Channel 4 which was published on Saturday.
The latest allegations – which the newspaper says have not been investigated, but will now be ‘rigorously checked’ – follow accusations from four women, including one who claims she was sexually assaulted by Brand during a three-month relationship with him when she was 16 and still at school.
The BBC is now also facing ‘urgent questions’ after it was claimed that Brand, 48, used his company-provided car service to pick the girl up from school.
It comes as both BBC and Channel 4 have launched internal investigations into separate accusations of predatory behaviour by Brand towards staff and audience members during the time of his employment.
Channel 4 has since removed all programmes linked to Brand from its website, including episodes of The Great British Bake Off and Big Brother’s Big Mouth in which he was featured, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Resurfaced clip: In the interview he says: ‘If you’re in a position of some success, people will allow you to be a nutter if they’re making money out of it’
The actor appeared on the show to talk about his book Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions, with Lorraine saying: ‘They allow you to work in a certain way. You’re enabled’
Netflix has since been urged to remove his comedy special, titled Re:Birth, from its streaming catalogue.
The maverick actor and stand-up comic has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and blamed the ‘mainstream media’ for the ‘litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks’.
BBC chiefs scrambled to investigate Brand last night after the comedian was accused of rape.
Their probe was announced minutes before Scotland Yard piled on the pressure by announcing that detectives would like to speak to the comedian’s alleged victims.
Brand, a former star of the BBC and Channel 4, faces bombshell claims from women alleging sexual assaults, abuse and predatory behaviour – including one who was a 16-year-old schoolgirl.
The BBC did not initially commit to an inquiry but amid the growing outcry, it shifted its position last night and a spokesman said it was ‘urgently looking into the issues’.
In a statement, a BBC spokesman said: ‘The documentary and associated reports contained serious allegations, spanning a number of years.
‘Russell Brand worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008 and we are urgently looking into the issues raised.’
The broadcaster yesterday launched an internal investigation into what was known about Brand’s alleged behaviour following claims that at least one senior executive was aware of complaints against the comedian and seemingly dismissed them.
Banijay UK, which produced Big Brother’s EForum and Big Brother’s Big Mouth in the early 2000s, revealed it had also ‘launched an urgent investigation’ into the ‘very serious’ allegations from former staff who worked alongside Brand when he hosted the programmes between 2004 and 2006.
The ex-staffers have claimed that Brand got them to ‘act like pimps’ by getting the numbers of women in the audience and passing notes to them from the presenter.
Channel 4 has also said it is conducting its own internal investigation following allegations of predatory behaviour against Brand.
The comedian released a video last week refuting all the allegations against him. Pictured: Brand leaving the Troubadour Wembley Park theatre after a gig on Saturday night
They said: ‘We have asked the production company who produced the programmes for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us.
‘Channel 4 is also conducting its own internal investigation, and we would encourage anyone who is aware of such behaviour to contact us directly.’
The statement added: ‘We will be writing to all our current suppliers reminding them of their responsibilities under our Code of Conduct, as we are committed to ensuring our industry has safe, inclusive and professional working environments.’
The network also confirmed to The Telegraph that it has ‘taken down all content featuring Russell Brand while we look into the matter’.
MailOnline has approached the BBC, Channel 4 and Netflix for comment.
Latest Russell Brand News
- More women come forward to accuse Russell Brand after sex allegations
- How the liberal media feted the comedian as a political messiah – and set him on his path to becoming a conspiracy-peddling crank
- Russell Brand accuser reveals the letter she wrote to the comedian after he allegedly raped her against a wall in his Los Angeles home
- Inside Russell Brand’s marriage to wife Laura Gallacher: Pair met through her Sky Sports star sister Kirsty and dated when she was 18
- Four women, four disturbing claims: The shocking dossier of allegations against comedian Russell Brand
- Now Channel 4, BBC and the police all launch probe into Russell Brand rape and sex assault scandal as celebrity friends start distancing themselves in the wake of allegations
- Russell Brand had sex with a Filipino prostitute when he was aged 16 while his father slept with two hookers in the same hotel room while on holiday
- Russell Brand’s ‘cult’ social media and podcast fanbase will be likely to stand by him, PR guru says
- An hour late, but the show goes on for defiant Russell Brand as he stands up in front of 2,000 adoring fans
Source: Read Full Article
