Channel 4 published a summary of its investigation into what was known about the allegations around Russell Brand on Thursday. It found “no evidence to suggest that there was knowledge within the channel of the allegations contained in the Dispatches programme about Russell Brand’s behaviour while he was a presenter on Big Brother’s Big Mouth and Kings of Comedy between 2004 and 2007.
The report also found:
While the recollections of former and current Channel 4 staff interviewed varied about when concerns around Russell Brand started to circulate within the commissioning team, the investigating team found no written or corroborated evidence to show that suspicions of serious allegations about Russell Brand’s behaviour were held within the channel before the special was broadcast.
The “special” referred to is “Celebrity Bake Off Stand Up to Cancer”. It was recorded in autumn 2018 and aired in March 2019. The “Dispatches” episode that revealed the allegations against the host and comedian was not commissioned until December 2019.
In a statement, Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4 said:
Whilst the investigation did not find any evidence to suggest that any Channel 4 employees were aware of Russell Brand’s alleged behaviour contained in the programme, it did find that one former Channel 4 employee made a serious and concerning allegation about Russell Brand in 2009. This was not escalated to Channel 4’s then senior management team, nor investigated as it should have been. I have apologised on behalf of the organisation to the individual for this breakdown and for the distress this matter has caused.
Readers will remember the “Dispatches” episode. Called “In Plain Sight”, it originally aired on September 16, 2023. The show highlighted various serious allegations, which Russell Brand has denied. It is available to watch for free here.
This has been a very uncomfortable period for Channel 4, although it does get credit for having its own journalists investigate them. I’m sure the findings will come as some relief to the channel’s top brass.