BBC removes some Russell Brand content, orders review of career at BBC

Certain content involving Brand has now been removed from both BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, including an instalment of QI on which he was a panellist and a podcast episode in which he appeared alongside Joe Wicks.

In a statement sent to RadioTimes.com a BBC spokesperson said that the content "now falls below public expectations" of the broadcaster.

The statement in full reads: "The BBC does not ban or remove content when it is a matter of public record unless we have justification for doing so.

"There is limited content featuring Russell Brand on iPlayer and Sounds. We've reviewed that content and made a considered decision to remove some of it, having assessed that it now falls below public expectations."

The decision comes after Channel 4 also removed programming that featured Brand, including episodes of The Great British Bake Off and Big Brother box sets.

BBC Director General Tim Davie has also ordered a review of his career at the corporation, where Brand worked in radio from 2006 until 2008.

In a Q&A with BBC staff, Davie called the allegations "very serious".

"I think it's absolutely right that we've said, along with organisations, that we urgently look at the issues that have been raised, and that goes across a number of organisations including the BBC."

Davie said there would be "full transparency" with the review "digging into anything that we've got there".

The review will also look at Brand's alleged use of a BBC car, which one of his alleged victims claims he had sent to take her from her school to his house when she was 16 years old and he was 30.

RadioTimes.com has contacted the BBC for comment.

Meanwhile, earlier today YouTube announced that Brand was suspended from monetising his content on the platform using adverts, where his channel has over 6 million subscribers.

In a video posted to social media the day before Dispatches aired, Brand said he "absolutely denies" the allegations, saying his relationships were "always consensual".

He said: "I've received two extremely disturbing letters, or a letter and an email, one from a mainstream media TV company and one from a newspaper, listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks as well as some pretty stupid stuff, like my community festival should be stopped, I shouldn't be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel, but amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks, are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.

"These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies. As I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous. During that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I'm being transparent about it now."

RadioTimes.com contacted representatives for Russell Brand for further comment.

In a statement to RadioTimes.com yesterday, Channel 4 said: "Channel 4 is appalled to learn of these deeply troubling allegations including behaviour alleged to have taken place on programmes made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007.

"We are determined to understand the full nature of what went on. We have carried out extensive document searches and have found no evidence to suggest the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4. We will continue to review this in light of any further information we receive, including the accounts of those affected individuals.

"In the many years since the alleged incidents took place, there has obviously been extensive change in Channel 4's management and commissioning teams. Today, Channel 4 has a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour and has a robust Code of Conduct. We require all suppliers to have in place rigorous safeguarding policies and provide whistleblowing support, including Channel 4's Speak Up facility.

"We will be writing to all our current suppliers reminding them of their responsibilities under our Code of Conduct, as we are committed to ensuring our industry has safe, inclusive and professional working environments."

Brand's former representation, Tavistock Wood, told RadioTimes.com in a statement: "Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him. TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand."