Noel Fielding, presenter of The Great British Bake Off, has issued a statement saying he has had “no contact” with Russell Brand “for many years”. The remarks follow Brand being jailed for 10 and a half years for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others, with further accusations that he abused his celebrity status to prey on women.
Fielding's statement
In a statement issued to The Sun, 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.”
Fielding added: “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.”
Past appearances together
Fielding also expressed regret over past jokes: “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.”
Brand and Fielding appeared together on Channel 4’s Big Fat Quiz Of The Year and performed charity gigs together as The Goth Detectives. On Thursday, a further six women accused Brand of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour in a new investigation by The Times and The Sunday Times.
Other statements
The statement follows presenter Jonathan Ross distancing himself from Brand, and comedian David Walliams, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, including grooming teenage girls as young as 15, and abusing his position to pursue women. Walliams denies any wrongdoing.
In a statement to the Press Association, Ross said: “I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation. There was a time in my life when I was on friendly terms with both men, and during that period I was genuinely unaware of their conduct. My thoughts are with the many, many women who have bravely come forward.”
Brand's career and sentence
Brand began his career as a TV presenter and comedian and became a Hollywood star, appearing in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Hop and the Despicable Me franchise. During a two-decade career he cemented his status in the spotlight through his marriage to singer Katy Perry, and subsequent appearances on TV, radio, stage and podcasts.
He is expected to serve two thirds of his sentence before being released on licence, and will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.
