BBC, Channel 4 and Amnesty gathering evidence on claims of harassment and rape between 2006 and 2013
about how she confronted a comedian whose “predatory behaviour” was an open secret in the industry. Ryan has never identified the comedian in question.
Brand, 48, who has lately recast himself as a health guru, is in the middle of a national standup comedy tour. He is due to appear in Windsor, Wolverhampton and Plymouth in the coming days, but there have been calls online for the venues to cancel the shows. Brand was also accused of pursuing audience members for sex while presenting Big Brother spin-off shows EFourum and Big Brother’s Big Mouth on Channel 4. A researcher claimed that concerns about Brand’s behaviour while he worked on the shows in 2004 and 2005 were reported to production managers at Endemol, the company that produced the programmes.
The comedian London Hughes claimed “there’s not a single comedian in the UK” who wasn’t aware of Brand’s behaviour. Hughes said she personally wasn’t aware that the allegations included rape, but “I always had the understanding that he was, for lack of a better word, ‘dodgy’ and I should avoid him.” Labour MP Jess Phillips said that she found watching the Dispatches documentary “harrowing” and hit out at those on social media who were questioning the accounts of women who made accusations against Brand.“Even somebody as hardened as me – I deal with rape cases, abuse cases – I found watching the Dispatches … really harrowing,” she said in an interview with Channel 4 News.
Amnesty International has urged women to come forward if they have any concerns about Brand’s behaviour during his participation in two of the charity’s standup comedy events. In a statement, the charity said it found the allegations “shocking and distressing” and that it did not have a relationship with the comedian. Brand took part in the charity’s Secret Policeman’s Ball events in 2006 and 2012.
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