Sir Bob Geldof's blunt five-word remark left Russell Brand uncharacteristically speechless on stage at an awards ceremony in 2006, years before Brand's conviction for rape and sexual assault.
On-Stage Confrontation at the 2006 NME Awards
Brand, who was enjoying a surge of fame in 2006, welcomed "Sir Bobby Gandalf" to the stage at the NME Awards after Geldof won an award for Live 8. At the time, unfounded rumours had been circulating about Brand and Geldof's daughter Peaches, who tragically died from an overdose in 2014.
As the Boomtown Rats singer approached the stage, he briefly shook Brand's hand but appeared visibly unamused. That minimal cordiality was immediately broken when Sir Bob said into the microphone: "Russell Brand, what a c**t." He glanced at Brand and nodded before turning away, leaving Brand looking visibly uncomfortable.
Brand's Retort and Later Reflections
After gathering his composure, Brand retorted: "Really, it's no surprise that he's such an expert on famine. He has been dining out on I Don't Like Mondays for 30 years."
Later that year, Brand admitted in an interview with The Guardian that he was hurt by the comment. "It's Bob Geldof! And he's achieved things beyond... well, instead of, music, which is really admirable," he said. "I've been told since by numerous people whose opinion I respect, Noel Gallagher for instance, and Carl Barat (of Dirty Pretty Things) that he misjudged the room, and it was just embarrassing and awkward. There was a part of me that needed that confirmation."
Brand's Conviction and Sentencing
This week, Brand was jailed for 10-and-a-half years for raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three TV and radio workers during his rise to fame. The disgraced star, now 51, was convicted after a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court of abuse against four victims.
On Monday (November 9), Mr Justice Bennathan condemned Brand's "staggering arrogance" as he sentenced him. The jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, while he was found not guilty of two counts of rape and one charge of attempted indecent assault. The allegations first emerged in a joint 2023 investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times in a documentary titled 'Russell Brand: In Plain Sight'.
Sharon Osbourne's Criticism
Following the documentary's airing, Sharon Osbourne spoke out against Brand's treatment of Sir Bob and Sir Rod Stewart. In the same year as the NME Awards incident, Brand had sparked fury with his comments about Sir Rod Stewart's daughter at the GQ Man of the Year Awards, bragging about hooking up with Kimberley Stewart, who was around 27 at the time.
Speaking about Brand's separate interactions with Sir Rod and Sir Bob, Sharon said: "You just don't do that too people's families, when that father is in the room." She told Piers Morgan on TalkTV: "The only thing I can say about Russell Brand, is the two things I don't like, was when he spoke about... one of them is a very good friend of ours, Kimberley Stewart, about what he had done to Kimberley Stewart in front of her father [Rod Stewart]. And then he did the same with Sir Bob Geldof... He's done it twice now and that's the thing that sticks with me."
