Noel Fielding has broken his silence about his past relationship with convicted rapist Russell Brand, insisting it was only ever a “professional” one after old jokes they made together resurfaced.
The Great British Bake Off presenter, 53, distanced himself from Brand on November 13 following the re-emergence of distasteful jokes the pair made in the early 2000s, after Brand's imprisonment for rape.
Brand's Conviction and Fielding's Response
Brand, 51, was sentenced to over a decade in prison on November 9 after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Fielding said he was “deeply disturbed” by the crimes and had not been in contact with Brand “for many years.” He has never been accused of misconduct, and there is no suggestion he knew about Brand's behaviour.
Speaking to the Sun newspaper, Fielding said: “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.
“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.”
Resurfaced Jokes and Regret
In a 2007 episode of The Big Fat Quiz of the Year on Channel 4, Fielding, referring to his outfit, said: “It's a Jack the Ripper cape. He wasn't a rapist, he was just...”
Brand interrupted him, saying: “A serial murderer. There is no direct corollary between capes and rape. It's just a rhyme. Leave him alone. What if, horror of horrors, he ain't even done a rape. You could ruin his reputation. Have you done a rape?”
Fielding said on Friday: “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.”
Reactions and Reflections
Lily Allen later recalled an uncomfortable exchange in a 2023 interview, saying: “I was on a chat show with Russell Brand and Noel Fielding and Jonathan Ross. And there are comments, I think, about me being raped or something.”
A source close to Noel said: “This was a different time. Noel has acknowledged this and he feels incredibly upset looking back at what they said.”
