Russell Brand, who is just over a week into a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence, will face "solid boredom" as his biggest problem behind bars, according to a former inmate recently released from HMP Wandsworth.
The convicted robber, who reportedly left the south London category B jail on Wednesday after serving half of a six-year sentence, told the Daily Mail that Brand will "hate it" and that other prisoners will not be impressed by his celebrity status.
Former inmate predicts loneliness
The ex-inmate said: "It's the solid boredom more than anything. And the other prisoners won't give a damn that he was famous. They've got enough of their own worries and troubles to be impressed by that. He will have his own TV and stuff. But he will feel so lonely."
Brand was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court earlier this month. It is unclear which prison will be his ultimate destination, but for now he is at Wandsworth.
Possible transfer to specialist prison
It is believed that Brand will eventually be moved to a prison that specialises in housing sex offenders. This could be HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire or HMP Whatton in Nottinghamshire. He could even end up at HMP Wakefield, nicknamed 'Monster Mansion' due to the long list of horrendous inmates who have passed through the jail.
Wakefield is currently home to notorious inmates like Jamie Varley, Roy Whiting and Jeremy Bamber, while paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins was murdered there last year.
Conditions at Wandsworth
Tom Wheatley, who was governor at the jail from 2018 to 2024, said the facility held a range of people with different outlooks. As they are all living in one place, the environment is "inherently stressful".
For the moment, Brand remains in Wandsworth, and he reportedly went pale and thought he was going to be sick when he saw the state of his cell. He has reportedly been branded a "nonce" by fellow inmates while he was placed in the Care and Separation Unit, where high-risk inmates are segregated for their own safety. A source told the BBC he has since been moved to the main wing.
Family and further allegations
The 51-year-old convicted sex offender, who has three young children with his wife, Laura Brand, had been living in a property worth around £2 million before the trial. Now Brand's wife has a decision to make about whether they will return to the UK while he is serving his sentence. It has been suggested she is considering returning permanently to their property in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
Since his conviction and sentencing, The Times reported fresh accusations of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour by a further six people. Brand has denied all non-consensual sexual activity.
