Noel Fielding has broken his silence on Russell Brand, saying he was “horrified and deeply disturbed” by the crimes for which the comedian was convicted this week, and expressing regret for material the two once performed together.
Brand was sentenced on Monday (November 9) to 10 years and six months in prison after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault against four women. He was cleared of two further rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Fielding, who worked with Brand across television, radio and live comedy throughout the 2000s, addressed their association in a statement given to The Sun.
“I was horrified and deeply disturbed to learn of Russell Brand’s crimes, which I was completely unaware of until they became public knowledge. My thoughts are with the women whose courage brought him to justice,” he said.
“I appeared on TV, radio and live charity shows with him, and whilst we played it up for the cameras and in the media, I considered it a professional relationship, rather than a personal one. I have had no contact with him for many years.
“Looking back at some of the jokes I made alongside him, I was appalled. They were horrible and inappropriate, and I very much regret them.”
The pair became frequent collaborators during the 2000s, appearing together on The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, Brand’s BBC radio shows and a string of live comedy events.
They also performed as the double act The Goth Detectives, including at a Teenage Cancer Trust show at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2013 organised by Noel Gallagher.
One of their most contentious moments came during a 2007 edition of The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, when panellist Jonathan Ross joked about steering Lily Allen away from Fielding and Brand on account of their reputations with women.
Fielding shot back: “How dare you – we’re not rapists,” before the comedians traded further jokes about sexual assault.
The clip was dredged up again after the first allegations against Brand emerged in 2023, leading Allen to revisit it in an interview with Grazia.
She recalled laughing at the jokes in the moment but now views them as “really horrendous”, adding: “It makes me uncomfortable, but I don’t think I felt that at the time, because it was the culture.”
Fielding and Brand reunited on a 2019 episode of The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer, recorded the previous year. The episode was pulled from Channel 4’s streaming service in 2023 in the wake of the allegations against Brand.
Fielding has not been accused of any wrongdoing, and there is no indication that he was aware of Brand’s offences.
His comments echo those of Jonathan Ross, who said earlier this week that he was “horrified” by Brand’s crimes and by separate allegations made against comedian David Walliams.
“There was a time in my life when I was on friendly terms with both men, and during that period I was genuinely unaware of their conduct,” Ross said. “My thoughts are with the many, many women who have bravely come forward.”
Ross also voiced regret over a joke he made about Walliams and a 15-year-old girl at the 2004 British Comedy Awards, saying he had not written the material himself and would not tell such a joke now. Walliams denies the allegations against him.
In the aftermath of Brand’s conviction, six additional women have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct, and the Metropolitan Police are still investigating two further rape allegations.