Noel Fielding says he was horrified by Russell Brand's crimes after 2007 clips resurface

Brand sentenced after conviction

Russell Brand was sentenced on Monday, 9 November 2026, to more than 10 years in prison after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Some reports put the term at 10 and a half years, and he is expected to serve two thirds of it before release on licence. He will also be placed on the sex offenders' register for life. Brand, who is 51, began his career as a TV presenter and comedian, later appeared in Hollywood films and was married to the singer Katy Perry. Channel 4's Dispatches documentary Russell Brand: In Plain Sight was the programme that first exposed the allegations against him.

Fielding breaks his silence

Fielding, who co-hosts The Great British Bake Off, issued a statement to The Sun saying he was horrified by the crimes and had been unaware of them until they became public.

“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 describes his work with Brand as professional rather than personal and says he has had no contact with him for many years. Fielding, who is 53, also says he was appalled by some of the jokes they made together and that he regrets them.

“They were horrible and inappropriate, and I very much regret them.”

No one has accused Fielding of misconduct, and no source suggests he knew about Brand's behaviour towards women. The pair met at the NME Awards in the early 2000s and performed charity gigs as The Goth Detectives.

2007 clips resurface

Footage of the 2007 Channel 4 Big Fat Quiz of the Year has resurfaced since the conviction, showing Fielding and Brand joking about rape. The episode was hosted by Jimmy Carr and also featured Rob Brydon, David Mitchell, Jonathan Ross and Lily Allen, who was 21 at the time and the only woman on the panel. In the clip, Ross says Allen was seated near the two comedians, and Fielding replies, "How dare you? We're not rapists." The clip has drawn increased scrutiny of Fielding's behaviour during that period of his career.

New allegations and reactions

On Thursday, 12 November 2026, a new investigation by The Times and The Sunday Times reported that six more women accused Brand of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour. Jonathan Ross issued a statement to the Press Association distancing himself from Brand and from David Walliams.

“I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation.”

Ross said he had once been on friendly terms with both men and had been genuinely unaware of their conduct at that time. Walliams, who has been accused of sexual misconduct including grooming teenage girls as young as 15, denies any wrongdoing.