Sir Bob Geldof’s delightfully vicious comment towards convicted rapist Russell Brand has now been immortalised online
Sir Bob Geldof’s delightfully vicious remark on stage one of the very few moments that left Russell Brand uncharacteristically speechless.
Maybe those sat in the audience of The NME Awards shouldn’t have been shocked – after all, the awards bash has always been a magnet for controversy as boozed-up rockers and musicians swagger onto the stage.
Yet Brand, who was riding high on the fame wave in 2006, was not inebriated as he welcomed “Sir Bobby Gandalf” to the stage after he won an award for Live 8.
Sir Bob Geldof was clearly unamused. At the time, unfounded rumours had been swirling about Brand and his daughter Peaches, who tragically died from an overdose in 2014.
As the Boomtown Rats singer made his way towards the stage, he had a face like thunder but very briefly shook Brand’s hand. But that minimal icy cordiality was instantly broken when Sir Bob said into the mic: “Russell Brand, what a c**t.”
He made sure to glance over at Brand and nod before turning back. Brand looked visibly uncomfortable.
After gathering his composure, Brand did retort: “Really, it’s no surprise that he’s such an expert on famine. He has been dining out on I Don’t Like Mondays for 30 years.”
Later that year, Brand admitted that he was hurt by the comment during an interview with the Guardian. “It’s Bob Geldof! And he’s achieved things beyond… well, instead of, music, which is really admirable,” he said. “I’ve been told since by numerous people whose opinion I respect, Noel Gallagher for instance, and Carl Barat (of Dirty Pretty Things) that he misjudged the room, and it was just embarrassing and awkward. There was a part of me that needed that confirmation.”
Yet, 20 years later, it is very clear that Sir Bob didn’t misjudge anything. Brand is now a convicted rapist and was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on Monday.
The allegations first emerged in a joint 2023 investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times in documentary, titled ‘Russell Brand: In Plain Sight’, ranging from rape and sexual assault to emotionally abusive behaviour from five women.
Following the airing of the documentary, Sharon Osbourne had spoken out against Brand’s treatment of Sir Bob and Sir Rod Stewart.
In the same year Sir Bob called him a “c**t”, Brand had sparked fury with his comments about Sir Rod Stewart’s daughter at the GQ Man of the Year Awards.
Stood in front of the star-studded audience, Brand left Sir Rod enraged as he bragged about hooking up with Kimberley Stewart, who was around 27 at the time.
Speaking about Brand’s separate interactions with Sir Rod and Sir Bob, Sharon said: “You just don’t do that too people’s families, when that father is in the room.”
She told Piers Morgan on TalkTV: “The only thing I can say about Russell Brand, is the two things I don’t like, was when he spoke about… one of them is a very good friend of ours, Kimberley Stewart, about what he had done to Kimberley Stewart in front of her father [Rod Stewart]. And then he did the same with Sir Bob Geldof…
“He’s done it twice now and that’s the thing that sticks with me.”
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
