Quick summary
- Noel Fielding has made his first statement since Russell Brand was sentenced, telling The Sun he was unaware of the crimes until they became public.
- He said he now regrets “horrible and inappropriate” jokes he made alongside Brand and described their bond as professional, not personal.
- Brand was sentenced on Monday to 10 years and six months in prison after a jury convicted him on four of seven charges.
- Old clips, including a 2007 quiz show exchange, have resurfaced online. Fielding has never been accused of misconduct.
Noel Fielding has broken his silence on Russell Brand. In a statement to The Sun, reported on 14 November by Nine and Rolling Stone, the comedian said he was “horrified and deeply disturbed” by Brand’s crimes and that he regrets some of the jokes the pair made together.
What Noel Fielding said
According to Nine, the 53-year-old Bake Off presenter said he was “completely unaware” of Brand’s crimes until they became public knowledge. “My thoughts are with the women whose courage brought him to justice,” he said.
Fielding also tried to separate the public image from the private reality. He said he appeared on TV, radio and live charity shows with Brand and “played it up for the cameras”, but considered it “a professional relationship, rather than a personal one”. He added that he has had no contact with Brand for many years.
On the old material, he was blunt. “Looking back at some of the jokes I made alongside him, I was appalled,” he said. “They were horrible and inappropriate, and I very much regret them.”
Rolling Stone reports the same statement and notes it is his first since the sentencing. Nine says there is no suggestion Fielding knew of Brand’s crimes.
The clips that resurfaced
The statement follows a wave of old footage. The two men met at the NME Awards in the early 2000s and became known as “The Goth Detectives”, according to Nine. Fielding also appeared on Brand’s BBC Radio 2 show.
One clip comes from the 2007 Big Fat Quiz of the Year, hosted by Jimmy Carr. Panellist Jonathan Ross made a joke about the two comedians’ reputations with women, with Lily Allen seated beside them. Fielding replied: “How dare you? We’re not rapists.” Allen described the exchange as “horrendous” when she looked back on it in 2023, Nine reports.
Another resurfaced interview has Fielding joking about young fans of The Mighty Boosh. The quotes drew heavy criticism, with Nine saying jokes about sexual assault and underage girls were “slammed”.
The verdict behind the fallout
Brand was sentenced on Monday after a London jury found him guilty on four of seven charges: one count of rape and three of sexual assault. He was found not guilty on two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault, Rolling Stone reports. The allegations came from six women and covered 1999 to 2009. Brand denied all seven charges during the trial.
Rolling Stone adds that six more women have since come forward, with claims spanning 2005 to 2015. Those are allegations, not findings.
The Guardian says 108 journalists covered the trial, which it calls probably the most scrutinised rape trial in British legal history. Its writer argues the case put an era of “ironic laddishness” on trial alongside the defendant. A separate Guardian column by Sophie Heawood reflects on how the media culture of the 2000s encouraged Brand, including her own 2011 interview with him.
The Netflix documentary
The fallout also lands as Netflix’s Russell Brand: Open Secret arrives. Director Olivia Isaacs told Variety that production began in November 2023, two months after the allegations broke. She described “a landscape of fear” around reporting on Brand and said many potential contributors were nervous or bound by NDAs.
Isaacs also said the people missing from the film are those who worked with Brand and gave him work, such as agents and executive producers. She called that the most lacking voice. For more on the film, see our report on Open Secret landing on Netflix after the sentencing.
What happens next
Brand is serving his sentence. The new claims from six more women have not been tested in court, and our earlier report covers police looking at those new claims. Expect more public figures who worked with Brand to be asked about their past, as Fielding has been. You can follow every update on our Russell Brand page and in Celebrities.
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Frequently asked questions
What did Noel Fielding say about Russell Brand?
He told The Sun he was horrified by Brand’s crimes, which he was unaware of until they became public. He called their relationship professional and said he regrets “horrible and inappropriate” jokes.
What was Russell Brand convicted of?
A London jury found him guilty on four of seven charges: one count of rape and three of sexual assault. He was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison.
Has Noel Fielding been accused of anything?
No. Nine reports he has never been accused of misconduct and there is no suggestion he knew about Brand’s crimes.
Where can I watch the Russell Brand documentary?
Russell Brand: Open Secret is streaming on Netflix, according to Variety.
