How the comedian’s books and stand-up shows detail mistreatment of women

Comedian Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by several women in relation to alleged incidents that occurred at the height of his career.

Brand vehemently denies the allegations and has stated all of his relationships have been “consensual”, while simultaneously accusing the media of a “co-ordinated attack” against him.

In a video statement released before the publication of the joint Channel 4 Dispatches, Times and Sunday Times investigation into him, Brand said: “These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I’ve written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

“Now during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual.”

He added: “I seriously refute these very, very serious criminal allegations.”

Here i looks at how Brand’s own words published in his books, performed in his standup shows and broadcasted on BBC radio detail his mistreatment of women.

How Brand spoke about women in his shows

During several episodes of his BBC Radio 2 show, Brand made multiple sexual comments about newsreader Andrea Simmons on air, describing her as “erotic” and a “sex bomb”.

He also told listeners: “We are going to get under that desk and we’re going to unleash hell on your thighs, woman.”

In 2007, while broadcasting an episode of his BBC Radio 2 show which featured Jimmy Savile, who was exposed as a prolific sexual abuser after his death, Savile suggested the pair could meet if Brand brought along his sister. 

Brand, who does not have a sister, offered his assistant instead.

He asked: “Would you like her to wear anything in particular, Sir Jimmy?” Savile responded: “I’d actually prefer her to wear nothing.” Brand replied: “OK, so you want… my assistant to meet you naked? OK, well that’s not going to be a problem.”

The shocking exchange, which took place five years before details of Savile’s crimes were exposed, did not lead to Brand’s immediate dismissal. He would go on to continue working for the BBC until the fallout of the “Sachsgate” scandal.

In October 2008, Brand along with his guest Jonathan Ross, made prank calls to the Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs.

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In a vulgar message on Sachs’s answer phone, Brand made reference to a sexual relationship with the actor’s granddaughter, Georgina Baillie. He sang: “I said some things I didn’t have ought to, like I had sex with your granddaughter.”

Ross stated: “He f***ed your granddaughter”.

Brand’s standup routines are known for their sexually explicit content. During one show where he performed a segment on oral sex, Brand said: “I like them blow jobs, right, where it goes in their neck a little bit. I would never suggest it. I’m not suggesting it. It’s her idea… them blow jobs when mascara runs a little bit.”

In another show he said: “I worship divine sexual female energy… I know if I say stuff like that about women and divine sexual energy at the end of the evening, there’s no way I ain’t getting laid after the show tonight.”

How Brand wrote about his encounters with women

The following extracts from his memoirs highlight his controversial comments about women and his interactions with them.

“As I escorted Michaela [a lap dancer who slapped him after sex] through the front door, I felt very strongly that I needed to avenge the slap . . . I spat in her face.” – My Booky Wook

“I was allowed to sleep in her [a girl called Penny’s] bed top to toe. I spun gags and yarns till she let me turn round, I painted verbal pictures and begged until she kissed me, I lied and danced and evoked the spirit of Pan till reluctantly she removed her bra, I used tears and emotional blackmail to secure the immolation of her knickers.” – My Booky Wook

“By my twenties I would relish the challenge of chaste maids and the search for the correct combination of words required to decode their moral resistance . . . The nobstacle course, I call it.” – My Booky Wook

“It took maybe two weeks [of teaching a language course] before I realised my classroom was a sexy library from which I could borrow lovely women from all around the world: Italian, Brazilian, Japanese; I brought back these two Polish women once and [a friend] said, ‘They look like them girls in Schindler’s List that put blood on their cheeks to avoid being executed.’ I liked them.” – My Booky Wook

“This girl was a sorry, fair-weather excuse for a prostitute … then the phone rings again, and I, and this is the worst act of misogyny I’ve committed since the spitting debacle, took the phone out of her hand and threw it at the wall.” – My Booky Wook

“I’m the most obsequious creature, utterly enslaved by that need [for sex], I do whatever it wants, it’s ludicrous, the level of servitude and mastery over me that it has achieved.” – Booky Wook 2

“What kind of man was I? Treating women in this way? If this is what I’m telling you, can you imagine what’s being left out?” – Booky Wook 2

“I estimate that 80 per cent of women are up for threesomes if you handle the negotiation carefully.” – Booky Wook 2

“Lesley Douglas [the former BBC radio controller] was incredibly tolerant of my behaviour at Radio 2. If you listen to old 6 Music podcasts, you will notice that all the competition winners that came into the studio while we broadcast as a prize were female. This is because there was an additional aspect to the prize which could never be explicitly stated due to the BBC’s rigid policy prohibiting the misuse of the disabled lavvy.” – Booky Wook 2