Russell Brand has reportedly requested vegetarian meals behind bars just days into his 10-and-a-half-year jail sentence, despite previously boasting about giving up his plant-based diet for steak. The disgraced comedian has reportedly been "barely eating" since arriving at HMP Wandsworth earlier this week, prompting him to ask prison staff for vegetarian food.
Daily food budget revealed
The 51-year-old was locked up on Monday (November 9) after being convicted of rape and sexual assault. Now adjusting to life inside the South London prison, Brand faces a basic daily food budget of just £3.12 per inmate, less than the price of a high-street coffee.
According to the Daily Mail, insiders claim Brand's sudden return to vegetarianism may be an attempt to avoid the standard meat options served. A prison source revealed: "That’s something the prison can normally accommodate, but he’s going to have to get used to eating whatever vegetarian meals are on the menu - there certainly won’t be anyone preparing special meals for him."
The dietary U-turn comes just two years after the former vegan and long-time vegetarian declared he had started eating meat again, even boasting about tucking into a steak at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in 2024.
Struggling with imprisonment
Beyond the canteen menu, Brand is reportedly struggling with the shock of imprisonment. Sources claim his trademark swagger vanished almost immediately after the gates of the 170-year-old Victorian jail closed behind him. "When he arrived, he came floating in almost as though he was the Messiah," a source told the Mail. "There was this air of superiority about him – but you could tell immediately that it was an act. He was incredibly pale, almost as though he was going to be sick."
The reality of his new surroundings reportedly hit home when he was marched into his cell - even asking officers if he could be given privacy when using the toilet. "He looked absolutely horrified," the insider added. "It was as though the reality of what had happened had finally sunk in. Prison cells aren’t exactly designed with personal dignity in mind."
Safety and conditions at HMP Wandsworth
Brand, who will serve two-thirds of his sentence - roughly seven years - before being eligible for release, has been placed in a single cell on C-wing alongside around 100 other vulnerable prisoners for his own safety. Because of his high profile and the nature of his convictions, prison staff have reportedly warned him to drop his "arrogant" attitude and even suggested he cut his signature long hair and beard to make himself less recognisable.
He has already been subjected to taunts from fellow inmates, with prisoners reportedly chanting: "There’s a Brand new nonce on the wing... You’re not a superstar in here, Brand." The disgraced star has also been the subject of a threat from behind bars. Convicted murderer and drill rapper Terngu Agera, known as Mover, allegedly posted a message on Snapchat from prison, warning: "Russell Brand, you naughty boy, we’ll be seeing you, son."
HMP Wandsworth, which houses more than 1,500 men, was recently criticised by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) over "inhumane", "overcrowded" and "squalid" conditions, with prisoner-on-prisoner attacks occurring on average once a day. Due to severe staff shortages, inmates are frequently locked in their cells for up to 22 hours a day.
Sentence and next steps
Under a standard prison regime, Brand - said to have a £15million fortune - is restricted to a £19.80 weekly spending allowance, a Freeview TV, a DVD player and limited phone calls. He has reportedly reached out to a prison chaplain to ask about joining a Bible study group as he faces the prospect of years behind bars.
Former prison governor Professor Ian Acheson warned that Brand's future in the prison system - and whether he is eventually moved to a lower-security jail - will depend entirely on whether he accepts his guilt, noting that denying his offences and launching an appeal could make his time inside significantly harder. Following a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court, Brand was convicted on November 5 of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault committed against four women between 2004 and 2009. The 51-year-old, who had denied all the charges and claimed his encounters were consensual, was cleared of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. On Monday, Judge Joel Bennathan branded him a "sexual predator" and sentenced him to 10 years and six months in prison.
