Noel Fielding has said his apparent closeness to Russell Brand was largely for the cameras, admitting he regrets their past jokes and sketches following Brand's conviction for rape and sexual assault.
The Great British Bake Off presenter said the pair's public image of friendship did not reflect how he viewed the relationship, describing it as professional rather than personal.
A Professional Relationship, Not a Friendship
Fielding and Brand first met at the NME Awards in the early 2000s and were booked together by television producers as an offbeat comedy pairing. They became known as The Goth Detectives, appearing in sketches and on Channel 4's The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, hosted by Jimmy Carr.
At the time, Brand was presenting Big Brother's Big Mouth, while Fielding was gaining recognition for The Mighty Boosh and later The IT Crowd. Their paths crossed at live events, including a Teenage Cancer Trust benefit, and Fielding appeared on Brand's BBC Radio 2 show.
Photographs showed them together at parties and nights out, particularly around Camden, at venues such as The Hawley Arms, Barfly and KOKO.
Fielding's Statement on Brand's Crimes
In a statement, 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."
He added: "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."
Fielding continued: "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, 51, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court on November 5. The jury heard that a woman was raped at Brand's London home in 2009, when she was a 21-year-old fan.
Sketches That Have Aged Badly
Some of the pair's old television appearances have resurfaced, including a Big Fat Quiz segment featuring jokes about underage girls. In one exchange, Fielding asked: "How do you even know if it's a child or an adult? You don't even care, do you?"
Brand then joked about mistaking a grasshopper for an adult before pretending to realise it was actually 12. In another moment, Brand told Fielding: "Don't say rape when we're left alone with a 15-year-old girl."
Fielding also made remarks about young female fans of The Mighty Boosh, saying in one interview: "Some of our fans are quite young, so, you know, we didn't take advantage. We showed them a good time, gave them a few drinks. But the problem was then you realise they were really young, so you'd sort of feel really guilty. Oh, we'd better get them a cab home and make sure they're alright and stuff."
He added that he sometimes saw their parents the following day and would be left saying: "I didn't do anything." In another clip, Fielding joked that his ideal audience was "16-year-old girls and art students".
Lily Allen's Recollection
One uncomfortable exchange came during a Big Fat Quiz appearance featuring Fielding, Brand, Jonathan Ross and singer Lily Allen. Ross joked that Allen was sitting near two of the best-known "c**** men" in the business, referring to Brand and Fielding, and suggested she move away to ensure she went home with her dress still on.
Fielding replied: "How dare you? We're not rapists." When Carr questioned why Fielding was wearing a cape if he was not a rapist, the comedian joked it was a "Jack the Ripper cape". Brand added: "There is no direct corollary between capes and rape. It's just a rhyme. Leave him alone."
Allen revisited the appearance in a 2023 interview with Grazia, 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."
From Camden Nights to Bake Off
Fielding was also photographed with Pixie Geldof in 2006 and 2007, when he was 33 and she was 16. He denied they were romantically involved, describing them as "just friends". At the time, he said: "There's a chemistry between us and we liked each other, but she's so much younger… It caused a lot of problems because her dad wanted to kill me obviously."
Brand was also rumoured to have briefly dated Geldof's older sister Peaches, who was 17 at the time. Neither publicly confirmed the relationship.
Fielding joined The Great British Bake Off in 2017 and has remained a presenter through its subsequent hosting changes. He shares daughters Dali and Iggy with his wife, radio presenter and writer Lliana Bird.
There is no suggestion that Fielding was involved in, or knew about, Brand's criminal behaviour. His statement instead addresses the professional association they shared and the jokes he now says he regrets.
