Noel Fielding has stayed silent after former comedy partner Russell Brand's rape conviction. The Great British Bake Off presenter has yet to publicly comment on Brand's conviction, despite the pair being regular fixtures on the comedy circuit during the 2000s.
Brand's Conviction and Sentence
Brand was convicted at Southwark Crown Court on 5 November of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was sentenced to ten-and-a-half years in prison. The case centred on allegations including the rape of a 21-year-old woman at Brand's luxury London home in 2009. Other women who worked at Channel 4, MTV and Capital Radio also accused the comedian of sexual misconduct.
Mr Justice Bennathan criticised Brand's "staggering arrogance" as he handed down the sentence. While several people from the entertainment industry have spoken out following the conviction, Fielding has not publicly commented on the case.
Past Partnership and Resurfaced Clip
The pair were once regular fixtures of the British comedy scene, appearing together on panel shows, at award ceremonies and at industry events throughout the 2000s. They first met at the NME Awards in the early 2000s, before their respective careers took off. Brand became the presenter of Big Brother's Big Mouth in 2006, while Fielding rose to prominence through The Mighty Boosh and later appeared in The IT Crowd.
Their friendship and on-screen chemistry made them a familiar double act, but an old television appearance has resurfaced in the wake of Brand's conviction. During The Big Fat Quiz of the Year in 2007, Brand and Fielding appeared alongside singer Lily Allen, who was the only woman on the panel.
Host Jimmy Carr and fellow panellist Jonathan Ross made a series of jokes about Allen being seated between the two comedians. Ross said she had been placed near "two of the best-known cocksmen of the business", adding that she might "go home with her dress still on". Fielding laughed before responding: "How dare you? We're not rapists." Brand then joined in, saying: "What if, horror of horrors, he ain't even done a rape. You could ruin his reputation."
He subsequently turned to Fielding and asked: "Have you done a rape?" Fielding replied: "Well, if I have, I'd be leaving the scene of the crime like this," before lifting his Dracula cape to cover his face.
Reactions and Calls for Action
The clip has attracted renewed criticism since Brand's conviction. Allen later described the exchange as "horrendous", although she said she did not remember feeling uncomfortable at the time. Speaking to Grazia in 2023, she reflected on the incident and said: "It was the culture."
Fielding has not been accused of any wrongdoing and was not involved in Brand's trial or conviction.
The lack of public comment from the Bake Off presenter comes as campaigners call for more men in the entertainment industry to speak out against sexual misconduct. Penny East, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, told the Evening Standard: "More men need to step up, speak out, and condemn the crimes of men like Russell Brand. The silence from many is notable." She added that it would have been better if male friends and colleagues had spoken out while the alleged behaviour was happening.
A Women's Aid spokesperson also questioned why more had not been done to stop men accused of using their power and influence to harass and abuse women. The organisation said the experiences of victims had become public because of their "extraordinary bravery in coming forward", alongside the work of investigative journalists.
