More details have emerged into the allegations about Russell Brand’s behaviour, after several women accused him of sexual misconduct while he was at the height of fame.
The BBC has now apologised to staff as part of review into the presenter’s conduct, which found that a number of people “felt unable to raise” their concerns.
It found that when he was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music between 2006 and 2008, he was viewed to have “great sway” at the station, and that others working there felt that he “would always get his way and therefore they stayed silent”.
The review considered eight complaints of alleged misconduct about Brand, two of which were made while he was employed by the BBC, one formally and one informally.
The 49-year-old actor and comedian denies the accusations, and previously said all his sexual relationships were “absolutely always consensual”.
So what are the allegations against Brand?
The review was launched after a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches revealed four women had accused him of sexual assaults at the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013.
They included accusations of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse, with one woman alleging that she had an abusive relationship with the actor when he was in his 30s and she was 16 and still at school.
Another woman claimed he raped her without a condom against a wall at his Los Angeles home, while another said he threatened her with legal action after he sexually assaulted her.
A fourth woman alleged he assaulted her in the UK and was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.
What accusations did the review investigate?
A formal complaint was made by a BBC employee in 2007 when Brand urinated in a cup during the recording of a BBC Radio 2 show, and into a bottle during a second show, as well as allegedly behaving in an aggressive manner throwing objects at the screen in anger when a mistake was made by the production team.
The complaint was eventually passed to the then-controller of Radio 2, who said she did not recall these concerns ever being raised with her.
The report notes the BBC appeared to make light of the incident in a press response at the time to The Independent, in which a spokesperson said that “someone has shown him [Brand] where the toilet is”. The report states: “Regrettably this incident was not taken seriously at this time.”
In 2016, the same member of staff reported the 2007 incident again as well as further rumours that Brand had brought groups of girls onto BBC premises. Despite enquiries being made, an investigation was not pursued further as they felt it was “too long after”.
Other misconduct allegations that were discovered during the course of the review included Brand having sex on BBC premises and exposing himself in the studio, with some of these rumoured incidents mentioned in his autobiography.
One competition winner claimed she had consensual sex with Brand on BBC premises, while another had a sexual encounter in a disabled toilet, but later felt Brand had “abused his position and taken advantage of them”.
An incident in the LA bureau of the BBC alleges that Brand followed a woman into a bathroom and showed her his penis, which he then referenced on air while filming his radio show in 2008.
The complainant did not raise the complaint at the time but was encouraged to do so in 2019, with the handling of the complaint found to be “inadequate”.
The report states: “What is clear is that many BBC staff and freelancers, especially in more junior roles, found Russell Brand demanding and difficult to work with and his behaviour extreme, but all felt that there was no point in complaining as they believed they would not be listened to and, rightly or wrongly, that Russell Brand as a high-profile presenter had the support of the station management.”
Another of the complaints in the report was made by a woman named Alice, who said a car provided by the BBC for Brand collected her and took her to his house when he was in his 30s and she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl.
The report concluded that it was not able to verify these claims but it was “unlikely that the cars described by Alice were chauffeur-driven BBC cars or BBC management cars”.
Both Alice and the report agreed that if Brand had persuaded a mini-cab that had been pre-booked by the BBC to make these additional journeys, it was likely done without staff knowledge.
Referring to management failings within the BBC, the report found that there was “an apparent power dynamic and hierarchy” surrounding the shows, and presenters, Brand in particular, were perceived to have a direct line to the then-controller.
What have the BBC done to improve workplace culture?
The review cost £662,062 and was conducted by the BBC’s director of editorial complaints and reviews, Peter Johnston.
He said: “The processes for raising any concerns were also not as developed as they are now.”
The corporation has since introduced a range of measures including a specialist case management process which considers the most serious allegations and concerns raised.
Its anti-bullying and harassment policy has been “strengthened” several times and a dedicated “support at work” team has been set up to address bullying and harassment cases.
Channel 4, where Brand also worked as a presenter, released its own internal review findings in March 2024. Its boss apologised to a former employee after the probe found it had not investigated a “serious” complaint made against the star in 2009.
What has Brand said about the review?
The comedian has always denied the accusations and insisted all sexual relationships were consensual, and previously told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the claims were “very, very hurtful”.
He did not accept the invitation to provide his perspective to the review.
He has been interviewed three times by police since September 2023 and last November, the Metropolitan Police sent the Crown Prosecution Service a file of evidence. A decision on charges has not yet been made.
