Channel 4 removes Russell Brand content amid sexual assault allegations

Four women alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013 and Brand was also accused of predatory, controlling and abusive behaviour. Brand has strongly denied the accusations.

Following the programme, a spokesperson for Channel 4 (per The Telegraph) said: "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."

In a video posted to social media the day before Dispatches aired, Brand said he "absolutely denies" the allegations, saying his relationships were "always consensual".

He said: "I've received two extremely disturbing letters, or a letter and an email, one from a mainstream media TV company and one from a newspaper, listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks as well as some pretty stupid stuff, like my community festival should be stopped, I shouldn't be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel, but amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks, are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.

"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. As I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous. 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'm being transparent about it now."

RadioTimes.com has contacted representatives for Russell Brand for further comment.

In Saturday's Dispatches, one woman – whose name was changed to Alice in the programme – alleged she had a sexual relationship with Brand when she was 16 years old and that he would send a car to her school to collect her and take her to his home.

She claimed that Brand sexually assaulted her at his home and said: "Russell engaged in the behaviours of a groomer, looking back, but I didn't even know what that was then, or what that looked like."

In a statement to RadioTimes.com, Channel 4 said: "Channel 4 is appalled to learn of these deeply troubling allegations including behaviour alleged to have taken place on programmes made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007.

"We are determined to understand the full nature of what went on. We have carried out extensive document searches and have found no evidence to suggest the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4. We will continue to review this in light of any further information we receive, including the accounts of those affected individuals.

"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.

"In the many years since the alleged incidents took place, there has obviously been extensive change in Channel 4's management and commissioning teams. Today, Channel 4 has a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour and has a robust Code of Conduct. We require all suppliers to have in place rigorous safeguarding policies and provide whistleblowing support, including Channel 4's Speak Up facility.

"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."

Brand's former representation, Tavistock Wood, told RadioTimes.com in a statement: "Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him. TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand."