Speaking out for the first time, Noel Fielding said that he was ‘horrified and deeply disturbed’ to learn of Brand’s crimes and said that he was ‘completely unaware’ of them until they became public knowledge
Noel Fielding declared that he and Russell Brand were never friends and haven’t been in contact in years in a scathing statement.
Former comedian Brand, 51, was sentenced to 10 years and six months on Monday after being convicted of rape and sexual assault. Throughout the noughties and the 2010s, Brand and Noel frequently worked together on panel shows, including The Big Fat Quiz of the Year.
Speaking out for the first time last night, Noel said that he was “horrified and deeply disturbed” to learn of Brand’s crimes and said that he was “completely unaware” of them until they became public knowledge.
He acknowledged working with Brand on many occassions, but said he never considered him a friend and that he has not spoken to him in years. Noel also said that he regrets some of the jokes he made while alongside him, describing them as “horrible and inappropriate”.
“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,” he told The Sun.
Their last known appearance together was recorded in 2018 on 2019’s The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer. Noel had been hosting the show at the time and Brand made a 3D biscuit showstopper depicting the birth of his second daughter.
The pair met at the NME Awards in the 2000s but their careers took different paths for some time. Whilst Brand was hitting the big time with his hosting duties on Big Brother’s Big Mouth, Noel had success in comedy shows like The Mighty Boosh.
Since then, Noel has been team captain on Never Mind The Buzzcocks and has been co-presenting Bake Off since 2017. As well as his comedy career, he has also acted as the lead role in Apple TV+ comedy series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.
It comes after Jo Whiley spoke about the creepy message Brand once left her.
The radio legend, 61, had been speaking to Zoe Ball, 55, on the latest episode of the Dig It podcast and said that she had “cried” for Brand’s victims when the verdict was read out.
Jo explained that she has a “show book” that she has guests sign when they appear on her show. In the book, Brand wrote that Jo was a MILF (Mum I’d Like to F**k).
“I’ve got a show book that people sign my book when they come on the show and I’ve got a signature from Russell,” Jo said. She went on to add: “It’s got the word; he just refers to me as a MILF, and I feel like I keep looking at the bookshelf. It’s like it’s burning a hole in my bookshelf at the moment.
“I’m sitting in the living room like those words are there. I’m going to have to tear the page out and burn it. I really am because it just makes me shudder but that was what you expected I think when you met him.”
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