Russell Brand: Which investigations have been launched into claims against the comedian?

Russell Brand is being investigated by the BBC, Channel 4, and a production company after he was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse while working for the organisations.

The high-profile comedian has denied the claims - that include controlling, abusive, and predatory behaviour - made by four women relating to alleged incidents between 2006 and 2013 in the UK and US.

A joint investigation published over the weekend by The Times and The Sunday Times newspapers, alongside a TV documentary by Channel 4 Dispatches, revealed the extent of the allegations facing the 48-year-old.

On Friday night, he said all of his relationships have been "consensual".

Here are the investigations are under way and the potential scope of the probes.

Metropolitan Police

The Metropolitan Police said it has received a complaint of sexual assault, following a media investigation into Brand.

Police said on Monday that officers received a report of sexual assault on Sunday, alleged to have taken place in Soho, central London, in 2003.

The Met said in a statement: “On Sunday, 17 September, the Met received a report of a sexual assault which was alleged to have taken place in Soho in central London in 2003. Officers are in contact with the woman and will be providing her with support. 

“We first spoke with The Sunday Times on Saturday, 16 September and have since made further approaches to The Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure that anyone who believes they have been the victim of a sexual offence is aware of how to report this to the police. 

“We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us.”

BBC

The Russell Brand Show began broadcasting in 2006 on BBC Radio 6 Music before moving to BBC Radio 2 after gaining popularity.

Brand left the station in 2008 after he and guest Jonathan Ross made headlines for leaving a "lewd" voicemail for Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs about his granddaughter.

Following the initial claims, a BBC spokesperson said: "The documentary and associated reports contained serious allegations, spanning a number of years.

"Russell Brand worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008 and we are urgently looking into the issues raised."

On Monday, The Times further reported a woman claims Brand used the BBC’s car service to pick her up from school when she was 16 so she could visit his home.

Channel 4

The Russell Brand Show was also broadcast in a chat format on Channel 4 in 2006 and he later returned to the channel to host Russell Brand’s Ponderland for two seasons from 2007.

Brand is accused of pursuing audience members for sex while presenting Big Brother spin-off shows EFourum and Big Brother’s Big Mouth on Channel 4.

Channel 4 announced it is conducting "its own internal investigation" and the broadcaster has removed content featuring Brand from their streaming service while they look into the allegations.

It said: "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."

Production company Banijay UK

A researcher has claimed concerns about Brand’s behaviour were reported to production managers at Endemol, the company commissioned by Channel 4 to produce the Big Brother spin-off programmes in 2004 and 2005, but were dismissed.

Banijay UK, which bought Endemol in 2020, has also launched an "urgent internal investigation" and encouraged "anybody who feels that they were affected by Brand’s behaviour" to come forward.

Los Angeles Police Department

A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department said they do not have an open investigation into claims made against Brand, and another spokesman confirmed there have been no arrests following two alleged incidents in the US.

If you have any information you would like to share with ITV News about this story or any others, please email investigations@itv.com.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…