Russell Brand allegations: Accuser claims BBC car took her from school to star’s house when she was 16
One of Russell Brand’s accusers has claimed a BBC car took her from school to the star’s house when she was 16 years old.
“Alice” told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour the alleged abusive relationship left her feeling “cheap and dirtied”.
She went on to say Brand’s denial of the accusations was “insulting”, adding: “It’s laughable that he would even imply that this is some kind of mainstream media conspiracy. He’s not outside the mainstream.”
It comes as Downing Street described the allegations against Brand as “very serious and concerning”.
“Alice” said Brand groomed her, referred to her as “The Child” and assaulted her during their three-month relationship.
She told Woman’s Hour that a BBC chauffer-driven car picked her up from school to take her back to Brand’s house.
“He had a friend who was taking him to do his radio show so he said to me, ‘You get in the car and you go wherever you need to go from there’, so I took the BBC car that time,” she said.
“And on another occasion it picked me up from school… back to his house.”
Alice said she told Brand she was 16 before their first date, adding: “He just replied saying, ‘OK, so we’re still on for dinner at 7.30?’
“He was 30. Now that I’m in my 30s looking at 16-year-olds, I can’t imagine finding them sexually attractive. I can’t imagine thinking of them as a potential mate in any way.”
She said she would like to know why more was not done by the corporation at the time of their relationship in 2006, adding: “He had a very well-known record of doing things that were inappropriate on the air, having inappropriate conversations. I don’t think he was being held to the same standards as other presenters or newsreaders.
“There were exceptions and allowances made for him and we need to ask ourselves why.”
The BBC has confirmed it is “urgently looking into the issues raised”.
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Fans react to Russell Brand allegations
‘I felt dirtied by the whole thing’
She said her mother tried to do everything she could to end the relationship but added: “Russell groomed me and told me to save his number in my phone as a different name. He coached me on what to say to my parents.”
The woman claimed she met Brand when he was 30 and he worked as a presenter on Radio 2.
Describing her alleged abusive relationship with Brand, she said: “It’s certainly had an impact on my relationships going forward… it was my first sexual experience, I felt used up, I felt cheap, I felt dirtied by the whole thing and so then I went on to have another series of relationships with people that were, for want of a better word, sleazy.
“Because I just thought if I go for bottom of the barrel I can never be disappointed and I can never be hurt because I know to expect the absolute worst.”
She said she was struggling with mental health issues and recovering from an eating disorder at the time, all of which contributed to her failing to finish her A-levels.
The Sunday Times says in 2020 Alice contacted Brand’s literary agent at the time, who was also the co-founder of talent agency Tavistock Wood.
A spokesperson for the agency said Brand “categorically and vehemently denied the allegations” at the time but they now believe they were “horribly misled” and have terminated all professional ties with the comedian.
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More women come forward after accusations
Four women have made allegations of sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013 as part of an investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.
The BBC said in a statement: “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.”
Since publication, The Times said it had been contacted by “several women” with claims about Brand, but said their allegations have not yet been investigated and “will now be rigorously checked”.
Brand, 48, vehemently denies the allegations. and claimed in a video posted online on Friday night that all of his relationships have been “consensual”.
Meanwhile, Brand’s former manager, John Noel, said he was “very surprised” by the allegations and he never had any complaints about Brand “other than turning up late”.
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Brand’s ex-manager ‘never had any complaints’
Downing Street describes allegations as ‘very serious and concerning’
Downing Street urged the BBC and Channel 4 to set out the results of their investigations into Brand “transparently”.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “It’s right that this is looked into and I think both of the broadcasters have said they would investigate and that is the right step.
“I’m not going to prejudge that, it will be for them to set out what they find and do so transparently.”
He added: “These are very serious and concerning allegations.
“The Met Police has asked anyone who believes they have been a victim of a sexual assault to come forward to speak to officers.”
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer is expected to speak to broadcasters about their investigations into Brand at the next opportunity and it was understood she will seek assurance their investigations will be conducted thoroughly and transparently.
Downing Street declined to urge broadcasters and streaming platforms such as YouTube and Netflix to take down Brand’s output.
The prime minister’s spokesperson said: “It’s a decision for all broadcasters to consider the right approach in light of these very serious allegations. They are deeply concerning, they need to be investigated.
“But I’m not going to dictate the actions of broadcasters or streaming services.”
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Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Caroline Nokes, said we must not ‘white-wash’ the allegations made against Russell Brand, even though it may have happened a long time ago.
Police encourage any victim to come forward
The Metropolitan Police has responded to the accusations – saying it encourages victims of sexual assault to contact the force.
A spokesperson said: “We are aware of media reporting of a series of allegations of sexual assault. At this time, we have not received any reports in relation to this.
“If anyone believes they have been the victim of a sexual assault, no matter how long ago it happened, we would encourage them to contact police.
“We spoke with The Sunday Times on Saturday 16 September. We will be making further approaches to The Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure that any victims of crime who they have spoken with are aware of how they may report any criminal allegations to police.”
In other developments:
• Channel 4 and production company Banijay UK have both launched investigations
• Elon Musk and Andrew Tate were among those appearing to offer Brand support
• Charity Trevi Women cut ties with the comedian
• Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called for quicker responses to such claims
• A parliamentary committee said it would “closely monitor” the issue
• Amnesty International said the claims were “shocking” but it received no complaints
Negotiations to reset the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU are going “to the wire”, a Cabinet Office minister has said.
“There is no final deal as yet. We are in the very final hours,” the UK’s lead negotiator Nick Thomas-Symonds told Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.
On the possibility of a youth mobility scheme with the EU, he insisted “nothing is agreed until everything is”.
“We would be open to a smart, controlled youth mobility scheme,” he said. “But I should set out, we will not return to freedom of movement.”
Politics latest: PM outlines ‘benefits’ for UK from closer EU ties
The government is set to host EU leaders in London on Monday.
Put to the minister that the government could not guarantee there will be a deal by tomorrow afternoon, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: “Nobody can guarantee anything when you have two parties in a negotiation.”
But the minister said he remained “confident” a deal could be reached “that makes our borders more secure, is good for jobs and growth, and brings people’s household bills down”.
“That is what is in our national interest and that’s what we will continue to do over these final hours,” he said.
“We have certainly been taking what I have called a ruthlessly pragmatic approach.”
On agricultural products, food and drink, Mr Thomas-Symonds said supermarkets were crying out for a deal because the status quo “isn’t working”, with “lorries stuck for 16 hours and food rotting” and producers and farmers unable to export goods because of the amount of “red tape”.
Asked how much people could expect to save on shopping as a result of the deal the government was hoping to negotiate, the minister was unable to give a figure.
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What could a UK-EU reset look like?
Starmer’s stance on immigration criticised
On the issue of fishing, asked if a deal would mean allowing French boats into British waters, the minister said the Brexit deal which reduced EU fishing in UK waters by a quarter over five years comes to an end next year.
He said the objectives now included “an overall deal in the interest of our fishers, easier access to markets to sell our fish and looking after our oceans”.
Turning to borders, the minister was asked if people would be able to move through queues at airports faster.
Again, he could not give a definitive answer, but said it was “certainly something we have been pushing with the EU… we want British people who are going on holiday to be able to go and enjoy their holiday, and not be stuck in queues”.
PM opens door to EU youth mobility scheme
A deal granting the UK access to a major EU defence fund could be on the table, according to reports – and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has appeared to signal a youth mobility deal could be possible, telling The Times that while freedom of movement is a “red line”, youth mobility does not come under this.
The European Commission has proposed opening negotiations with the UK on an agreement to facilitate youth mobility between the EU and the UK. The scheme would allow both UK and EU citizens aged between 18 and 30 years old to stay for up to four years in a country of their choosing.
Earlier this month, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told Phillips a youth mobility scheme was not the approach the government wanted to take to bring net migration down.
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Lack of UK training ‘big driver of net migration’
When this was put to him, Mr Thomas-Symonds insisted any deal on a youth mobility scheme with Europe will have to be “smart” and “controlled” and will be “consistent” with the government’s immigration policy.
Asked what the government had got in return for a youth mobility scheme – now there had been a change in approach – the minister said: “It is about an overall balanced package that works for Britain. The government is 100% behind the objective of getting net migration down.”
Phillips said more than a million young people came to the country between 2004 and 2015. “If there isn’t a cap – that’s what we are talking about,” he said.
The minister insisted such a scheme would be “controlled” – but refused to say whether there would be a cap.
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‘It’s going to be a bad deal’
Shadow cabinet office minister Alex Burghart told Phillips an uncapped youth mobility scheme with the EU would lead to “much higher immigration”, adding: “It sounds very much as though it’s going to be a bad deal.”
Asked if the Conservatives would scrap any EU deal, he said: “It depends what the deal is, Trevor. And we still, even at this late stage, we don’t know.
“The government can’t tell us whether everyone will be able to come. They can’t tell us how old the young person is. They can’t tell us what benefits they would get.
“So I think when people hear about a youth mobility scheme, they think about an 18-year-old coming over working at a bar. But actually we may well be looking at a scheme which allows 30-year-olds to come over and have access to the NHS on day one, to claim benefits on day one, to bring their extended families.”
He added: “So there are obviously very considerable disadvantages to the UK if this deal is done in the wrong way.”
Jose Manuel Barroso, former EU Commission president, told Phillips it “makes sense” for a stronger relationship to exist between the European Union and the UK, adding: “We are stronger together.”
He said he understood fishing and youth mobility are the key sticking points for a UK-EU deal.
“Frankly, what is at stake… is much more important than those specific issues,” he said.
Gary Lineker is to leave the BBC after this season’s final Match Of The Day and will no longer present its coverage of the World Cup, Sky News understands.
It comes after he “apologised unreservedly” for a social media repost featuring a rat – used in propaganda by Nazi Germany to dehumanise Jewish people – and said he would “never knowingly share anything antisemitic”.
Lineker’s last appearance on the BBC will be on 25 May, the final day of the season, with confirmation expected on Monday.
The former England star announced in November he would step down from Match Of The Day this year, but was set to return to front the World Cup in 2026, as well as FA Cup coverage.
Lineker, 64, said he was unaware the post he shared was antisemitic and it went against “everything I believe in”.
In response to the presenter resharing the post, the Campaign Against Antisemitism said his “continued association with the BBC is untenable”.
And when asked about Lineker last week, BBC director general Tim Davie said: “When someone makes a mistake, it costs the BBC reputationally.”
The presenter was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 after an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the then Conservative government’s asylum policy.
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Lineker has hosted Match Of The Day since 1999 and has been the BBC’s highest-paid on-air talent for seven consecutive years. He also has a successful podcast production company.
Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will share the role of presenting Match of the Day. Pic BBC/PA
Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan will take over the highlights show from next season.
When the trio take over as hosts, it will be the first time the role has been shared by three people.
Sky News has contacted the BBC for comment.
A teenager has been arrested after a 16-year-old boy died following reports of a “disturbance” at a beach in Ayrshire.
Kayden Moy was found seriously injured by officers at Irvine Beach at around 6.45pm on Saturday.
The teenager, from East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, was taken to hospital but died in the early hours.
Police Scotland said on Sunday evening that a 17-year-old boy had been arrested and enquires were continuing.
Officers believe the incident may have been filmed and have urged witnesses and anyone with information to come forward.
Kayden. Pic: Facebook
The incident happened at Irvine Beach in Ayrshire, Scotland. File pic: iStock
Detective Chief Inspector Campbell Jackson said: “An extensive investigation is under way to establish the full circumstances surrounding this death.
“Our officers are supporting the boy’s family at this very difficult and heartbreaking time.
“From our investigation so far, we know there were a number of people on the beach around the time of the disturbance.
“We believe several of them were filming at the time and may have footage of what happened.
“I would urge people to review the footage they have and contact police if they think the footage captured could be of significance to our investigation.”
This can be submitted anonymously, the force said.
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Superintendent Jim McMillan added: “We understand this death will be of great concern for the local community, but please be assured that we are doing everything we can to identify those involved.
“There will be additional patrols in the area as we carry out our enquiries and anyone with any concerns can approach these officers.”
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