Channel 4 has removed TV episodes starring Russell Brand from its streaming service following the sexual assault allegations against the presenter.
Among the shows removed are episodes of Big Brother’s Big Mouth, a Big Brother spin-off once hosted by Brand in the mid-2000s, and a 2019 Great Celebrity Bake Off episode in which Brand starred.
A Channel 4 spokesperson told the Telegraph: “We’ve taken down all content featuring Russell Brand while we look into the matter.”
The broadcaster, alongside the BBC, has launched a probe following allegations made against Brand by at least four different women.
Downing Street on Monday declined to urge broadcasters and streaming platforms such as YouTube and Netflix to take down Russell Brand’s output.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It’s a decision for all broadcasters to consider the right approach in light of these very serious allegations. They are deeply concerning, they need to be investigated. But I’m not going to dictate the actions of broadcasters or streaming services.”
A joint Channel 4 Dispatches and Sunday Times investigation revealed claims of sexual assault from four separate women dating back to the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013, at a time when Brand was working for the BBC, Channel 4 and starring in Hollywood films.
One of the alleged victims, called Nadia by the outlets to protect her identity, claims Brand raped her against a wall in 2012 at his Los Angeles home.
Another woman has alleged she was sexually assaulted by the star during a three-month relationship with him when she was 16 and still at school.
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The BBC is facing questions after it has been alleged that he used the corporation’s car service to pick up the 16-year-old from school so she could visit him at his home, according to The Times.
The 48-year-old comedian vehemently denies the allegations and said, in a video posted online on Friday night, that all of his relationships have been “consensual”.
Banijay UK, which bought the production company Endemol in 2020, the company behind the Big Brother spin-off show, has also launched an “urgent internal investigation" over the claims.
As the claims were aired in the Dispatches documentary on Saturday, Brand performed a sold-out comedy gig at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in north-west London.
He is scheduled to perform at three more venues in September, including a show at the Theatre Royal in Windsor on Tuesday, The Pavilions in Plymouth on Friday and The Civic At The Halls in Wolverhampton next Thursday.
Women and Equalities Select Committee chairman Caroline Nokes said there are “some serious questions to be answered about who knew what and when” about the alleged sexual assaults.
The Met Police said they will speak to The Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure “any victims of crime who they have spoken with are aware of how they may report any criminal allegations to police".
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said they do not have an open investigation into Brand in relation to the alleged assaults which were said to have taken place in LA.
