Vanessa Feltz has described as "extremely chilling" a comment Russell Brand made about her and her teenage daughter during a 2006 television appearance, revisiting the encounter after Brand's conviction for rape and sexual assault.
The 64-year-old broadcaster recalled the moment while appearing on ITV's This Morning, days after Brand was found guilty. Feltz said she had been a guest on one of the former comedian's shows in 2006, where he made an unexpected remark about wanting to have sex with her and both of her daughters.
Feltz Recalls the 2006 Encounter
Feltz said she had previously found Brand entertaining and had been captivated by his charisma, but was left deeply uncomfortable by his comments. She said: "I was quite friendly with him. I found him vastly entertaining. I was absolutely mesmerised by the stream of words, the charisma. I'd never seen a presenter anything like him."
"He just announced, in this unbelievably dispassionate way, that he would like to have sex with me and both my daughters. The younger one was 15 at the time. I couldn't pretend I thought that was funny. It didn't seem to be a joke."
A 'Chilling' Realisation
Feltz said the moment changed her perception of Brand. "I realised then that there was something extremely chilling about him. Something very ruthless and a bit scary and intimidating," she said.
"What he really relished was power over women. He wanted to have sex with the ones who didn't want to have sex with him, rather than the very many who did."
The comment has become a widely circulated video clip on social media, and Feltz has spoken about the incident on several occasions over the years. She has consistently maintained that the remark deeply offended her, particularly given that her younger daughter was just 15 at the time.
Brand's Conviction and Sentencing
Her latest comments come days after Brand, 51, was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. He has consistently denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Following the verdict on November 5, the judge told Brand he faced a "significant custodial term". He was refused bail and remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing hearing on Monday, November 9.
