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The BBC has apologised after a review found a number of individuals had concerns about Russell Brand’s behaviour during his time with the broadcaster which they felt unable to raise, believing the presenter “would always get this own way and therefore they stayed silent”.
Brand, 49, denies historic allegations of rape, assault and emotional abuse, and has previously said all his sexual relationships were “absolutely always consensual”, following a September 2023 investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches which revealed four women had accused him of sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013.
The actor and comedian is the subject of an ongoing police investigation.
Peter Johnston, the BBC’s director of editorial complaints and reviews, conducted the review, which investigated eight complaints about Brand, with only one of those formally made to the BBC and focused on Brand’s behaviour on BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2 between 2006 and 2008.
It looked at reports Brand had urinated “into cups or bottles while in the studio, throwing objects, allegations of sex on the premises including with competition winners, and exposure while in the studio in front of staff and guests”, and on-air comments.
It also investigated management “failings”, including a perception among staff of a close working relationship between Brand and the then-controller of Radio 2 Lesley Douglas, who resigned over a prank call Brand made to Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs.
Johnston said he had “apologised on behalf of the BBC to those most directly affected by what I have documented here”.
He found “a number of individuals had concerns about Russell Brand’s behaviour which they felt unable to raise then.
“Many interviewees believed, rightly or wrongly, that Russell Brand would always get his way and therefore they stayed silent (and I note here my finding above that the one complaint that was made in 2007 was not dealt with effectively when it was made).”
The BBC had since “introduced other mechanisms and routes for staff to raise concerns”.
Though the review was based on events which took place more than 15 years ago, it “demonstrates that the issue of power hierarchies in creative teams and the role of presenters is something which the BBC should continue to closely monitor”, Johnston said.
Brand did not accept an invitation to participate in the review or to comment on its proposed findings, he said.
The BBC said: “It is of great concern that some of these individuals felt unable to raise concerns about Russell Brand’s behaviour at the time, and the BBC has apologised to them as part of this review.”
It added it was “clear that there were compliance inadequacies on some of Russell Brand’s Radio 2 shows which led to content being aired that would not be broadcast today. Russell Brand left the BBC in 2008 following a high-profile editorial breach”.
The broadcaster also said it was “clear presenters have been able to abuse their positions at the BBC in the past” and that a number of steps had been introduced since 2008 to deal with serious allegations.
The review investigated a complaint made by a woman working in the same building as the BBC’s office in Los Angeles, in which she claimed he flashed her in 2008, and later laughed about the encounter on his radio show.
Another allegation looked at a claim made by a woman called “Alice”, who alleged BBC cars transported her including from her school to his house, when she was 16 and alleged to be in a relationship with Brand.
In November, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it was considering bringing charges against Brand.
The Met has said it received a number of reports of sexual offences from women in London and elsewhere in the country after the Times investigation.
A man in his 40s was interviewed by officers under caution in relation to the allegations, the force said at the time.
The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, said: “The complaints against Russell Brand set out in this report are horrendous. As is the fact that staff felt unable to raise concerns because they did not think that they would be believed or taken seriously.”
She added:“For too long, there has been a culture of silence in the media industry where inappropriate behaviour like Brand’s has been tolerated or downplayed. Power imbalances and a perception that certain stars cannot be challenged are sadly not unique to this case.
“The BBC, and the wider industry, must now urgently consider what more they can do to make sure that abuse and harassment by anyone, no matter who they are, is not tolerated in any of their workplaces.”
