By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Comedian Russell Brand, 51, has been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. He is due to be sentenced on Monday and faces a lengthy prison term. In his 2010 memoir, My Booky Wook 2, Brand boasted that the BBC's former controller of Radio 2 and 6 Music, Lesley Douglas, was "incredibly tolerant" of his sexual behaviour while he was a presenter.
Memoir Details
Brand wrote that Douglas gave him "lots of room," which he said meant access to female competition winners. He claimed all studio competition winners were female 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." Brand also admitted to upsetting a BBC newsreader by saying he would interact "in an intimate manner" with her as she read the news.
BBC Complaints and Sachsgate
Brand worked at the BBC from 2006 to 2008. An internal review published in 2025 by Peter Johnston, BBC Director of Editorial Complaints, found five separate complaints had been raised. Johnston concluded that the "culture of the time" left individuals feeling unable to raise concerns, and that a 2007 complaint was not dealt with effectively. In 2008, Brand and presenter Jonathan Ross left voicemails for actor Andrew Sachs detailing Brand's sexual encounter with Sachs' granddaughter. The incident, known as Sachsgate, prompted 40,000 complaints, led to Brand's departure, Ross's 12-week suspension, and a substantial fine for the BBC.
Trial Outcome and Further Allegations
Brand was acquitted of two other rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault. He was denied bail ahead of sentencing. After the verdicts, the Metropolitan Police confirmed Brand has been accused of raping two more women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl, and warned that further victims could come forward. The BBC has been approached for comment.
