Noel Fielding has spoken out for the first time about Russell Brand, saying the two were never friends and have not been in contact for years. In a statement, Fielding said he was "horrified and deeply disturbed" to learn of Brand's crimes and that he was "completely unaware" of them until they became public knowledge.
Fielding's Statement on Brand's Conviction
Brand, 51, was sentenced to 10 years and six months on Monday after being convicted of rape and sexual assault. Throughout the noughties and the 2010s, Brand and Fielding frequently worked together on panel shows, including The Big Fat Quiz of the Year.
Speaking last night, Fielding acknowledged working with Brand on many occasions but said he never considered him a friend and has not spoken to him in years. He also said he regrets some of the jokes he made while alongside him, describing them as "horrible and inappropriate".
"I was horrified and deeply disturbed to learn of Russell Brand’s crimes, which I was completely unaware of until they became public knowledge. My thoughts are with the women whose courage brought him to justice," he said.
Professional Relationship, Not Personal
"I appeared on TV, radio and live charity shows with him, and whilst we played it up for the cameras and in the media, I considered it a professional relationship, rather than a personal one. I have had no contact with him for many years. Looking back at some of the jokes I made alongside him I was appalled. They were horrible and inappropriate, and I very much regret them," he told The Sun.
Their last known appearance together was recorded in 2018 on 2019's The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer. Fielding had been hosting the show at the time and Brand made a 3D biscuit showstopper depicting the birth of his second daughter.
Careers and Other Reactions
The pair met at the NME Awards in the 2000s but their careers took different paths for some time. While Brand was achieving success with his hosting duties on Big Brother's Big Mouth, Fielding had success in comedy shows like The Mighty Boosh. Since then, Fielding has been team captain on Never Mind The Buzzcocks and has been co-presenting Bake Off since 2017. He has also acted as the lead role in Apple TV+ comedy series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.
It comes after Jo Whiley spoke about a creepy message Brand once left her. Whiley, 61, had been speaking to Zoe Ball, 55, on the latest episode of the Dig It podcast and said that she had "cried" for Brand's victims when the verdict was read out.
Whiley explained that she has a "show book" that guests sign when they appear on her show. In the book, Brand wrote that Whiley was a MILF (Mum I'd Like to F**k). "I've got a show book that people sign my book when they come on the show and I've got a signature from Russell," Whiley said. She went on to add: "It's got the word; he just refers to me as a MILF, and I feel like I keep looking at the bookshelf. It's like it's burning a hole in my bookshelf at the moment. I'm sitting in the living room like those words are there. I'm going to have to tear the page out and burn it. I really am because it just makes me shudder but that was what you expected I think when you met him."
