Russell Brand has reportedly been given a new nickname by fellow inmates after spending his first night in the underground cells of HMP Wandsworth, where he is being held pending sentencing on Monday.
The 51-year-old comedian was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. A judge told him to expect a lengthy custodial sentence.
Nickname and conditions in the Care and Separation Unit
Brand was taken to the Category B prison in Wandsworth before being moved to its Care and Separation Unit (CSU), also known as 'The Block'. According to the Daily Mail, inmates have started referring to him as 'Russell from the Block'.
Visitors to the jail have described how Brand is coping behind bars, with one claiming he has been struggling with the food. A female visitor said her boyfriend had told her Brand "doesn't like the food and is struggling to eat it", adding: "It's slop."
Another woman, who had just visited her son inside the jail, said: "My son said Brand is downstairs from him. He said no one is allowed to see or speak to him."
Emergency services called to the prison
Emergency services were pictured outside the prison on the morning of Friday, 7 November, ahead of Brand's sentencing. Three ambulances and two ambulance cars entered the jail, along with a number of firefighters.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said crews attended HMP Wandsworth at 9:46am, with the incident over by 10:20am. A Prison Service spokesperson said: "We have been made aware of an incident at height at HMP Wandsworth this morning, which has now been resolved."
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We were called at 9.33am today to reports of an incident at HMP Wandsworth. We sent a number of resources, including our Hazardous Area Response Team, an Incident Response Officer, an ambulance and fast response unit." The exact nature of the incident remains unclear.
Food and living conditions at HMP Wandsworth
Prisoners are served two meals a day, the first at noon and the second at 4:30pm, according to a third visitor. Breakfast can be purchased from the canteen using their own money, they said. The visitor added: "The food is terrible. They get whatever, they're given. It might be a beef or cheese pasty or something like that at lunchtime and then it could be anything later in the day."
HMP Wandsworth has previously faced criticism over its living conditions. Inspectors highlighted serious problems during an inspection in April and May 2024, and prison bosses were issued with an urgent action plan to address several concerns.
An inspection report described problems with overcrowding, cleanliness and maintenance. It said: "Overall living conditions were poor. Levels of overcrowding were high, with 80% of prisoners sharing cells designed for one." The report also noted that many showers were in poor condition, there were frequent issues with heating and hot water, and numerous cells had damaged furniture, flooring, windows or sinks. Vermin remained a problem, with prisoners reporting that rodents were still seen frequently.
Brand showed little reaction as the verdicts were delivered on Thursday, although he closed his eyes as the guilty verdict on the rape charge was announced. The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that investigations are continuing into two further allegations of assault made against Brand. During pre-trial hearings, it emerged that one of the complaints relates to a woman who dated the comedian when he was 30 and she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl.
