Five complaints were made against Russell Brand, confirms BBC

Los Angeles, United States

BBC has confirmed that five complaints were filed concerning Russell Brand's conduct while he was hosting their radio shows between 2006 and 2008. Two complaints, received in the last two months, are under review as part of an ongoing assessment initiated in response to allegations against the comedian.

These two recent complaints are reported to be related to Brand's workplace conduct and do not involve serious sexual misconduct. The other three were made before he was publicly accused in September of rape and sexual assault, which he vehemently denies.

One complaint from 2019 is connected to a previously reported incident of misconduct on BBC premises in Los Angeles in 2008. The remaining two complaints were made during Brand's tenure as a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music.

Peter Johnston, the BBC's director of editorial complaints and reviews, is overseeing the investigation into Brand's behaviour at the time, assessing whether management was aware of any allegations and the corresponding actions taken.

Earlier this year, the Sunday Times, Times, and Channel 4's Dispatches conducted an investigation accusing Brand of rape and sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013. The comedian vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that all his relationships were consensual.

The ongoing review has encountered challenges due to the absence of centralised records regarding staff complaints from that period. Johnston mentioned, "Due to the passage of time, the BBC's records of car bookings are no longer available," in response to a claim about Brand having teenage girls driven to his home via BBC cars.

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Johnston's interim update indicated that, to date, no disciplinary action had been taken against Brand during his engagement with the BBC from 2006 to 2008.

In addition to the complaints, Johnston acknowledged wider audience concerns regarding the "general tone, topics, and language" of Brand's shows. While outside the review's scope, Johnston noted that he would consider whether these concerns should have raised alarms within the BBC.

The Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police are currently investigating Brand in connection with the allegations. Channel 4 and Banijay UK, where Brand has also worked, are conducting internal investigations independently.