Russell Brand, jailed for rape and sexual assault, has reportedly asked for vegetarian meals inside HMP Wandsworth, where inmates face a basic daily food budget of just £3.12.
The disgraced comedian and TV presenter, days into his sentence, is said to have been "barely eating" since arriving at the south London prison. According to the Daily Mail, insiders claim his 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."
Dietary U-turn and prison conditions
The dietary change comes just two years after the former vegan and long-time vegetarian proudly declared he had started eating meat again, even claiming to have eaten steak at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in 2024.
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."
Reality of prison life
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."
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. Prison staff have reportedly warned him to drop his "arrogant" attitude and 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."
Sentence and prison regime
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.
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. Brand has reportedly reached out to a prison chaplain to ask about joining a Bible study group.
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.
