Comedian Nish Kumar has said it is “beyond dispute” that the British TV and stand-up circuit has problems with men abusing their position, following Russell Brand's rape conviction. Kumar, 41, said there is a “cultural issue” that protects such men and called for “systemic change” across the industry.
Comments on podcast
Speaking on his podcast Pod Save The UK ahead of the release of the documentary Russell Brand: Open Secret on Netflix, Kumar said it had been a “horrific week” for his industry. He said: “There’s a cultural issue that protects these men. No one is talented enough to excuse being an abuser. And there is definitely no excuse for not firing somebody that you know is a threat to your workforce.”
Kumar, a former host of The Mash Report, also said that comedians are “eminently replaceable”. He added: “Things will start changing when there is accountability for the enablers of these men. If you don’t do that, then we are still going to be in a situation where this keeps on happening.”
Context of the case
His comments follow the sentencing of Brand, 51, to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault. They also come after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against David Walliams. The children's author and comedian, 55, has been accused of sexual misconduct, grooming teenage girls as young as 15, and harassing women in the workplace. Walliams has denied all the allegations.
Reports indicate that Brand is set to be moved to the “Monster Mansion” jail where paedophile rocker Ian Watkins was killed. The disgraced comedian will be switched to HMP Wakefield to serve his 10-year sentence. Despite its reputation and the fatal stabbing of the former Lostprophets frontman, it is seen as a safer option than HMP Wandsworth, where he is currently held after being convicted.
Life inside HMP Wakefield
Brand is reportedly being assessed ahead of the move to the West Yorkshire jail. A source said: “Brand will have an incredibly tough time.”
Tom Wheatley, the governor of Wakefield from 2018 until 2024, described life inside the facility as housing a variety of individuals with differing outlooks, all confined in one place where the atmosphere is “inherently stressful”. He added: “In some ways, it is a real testament to the forbearance of people in prison and the skill of staff and others who are around people in prison that this doesn't happen more regularly.”
