I worked at Channel 4 during the Russell Brand era. Ask me anything

[Channel4er]

I've thought long and hard about whether do do this AMA because people will probably be after salacious titbits which I neither have nor am interested in however there's been a lot of talk about Channel 4's role in the Brand affair and I thought I might be able to shed some light on what the culture at Channel 4 was actually like around that time.

In order to remain anonymous there may be some questions I can't answer. I've name changed but am a long standing MNer.

@Channel4er ignore the people that don't believe you there are some vipers on here. I did an ama once about my child's disabilities only for a few idiots to suggest I was making it all up. People are trolls!!! This thread is informative and interesting thank you

The inappropriate TV content doesn't change that he's a rapist and sexual predator, it just adds to the picture of his vileness.

That is what Danii Minogue called him in 2006 - a vile predator.

Are you honestly not sceptical that he could have started all the ‘against the agenda’ you tube channel as a distraction, an escape route for when awful things he knew he had done would eventually come out?
Is anyone so blind? Come on…
Over the past 10 years or more, this type of shit has been rooted out. Anyone who has abused and raped and taken advantage of young people or children (and who is in the public eye) is in the firing line for getting found out- often many years later. What a clever plan then, and except excuse to cover your back with ‘their after me for going against the agenda’
Not saying that’s what happened with 100% certainty of course, but the it’s obvious to anyone with any critical thinking skills that it could all be a clever rouse.
Maybe he feels sorry for what he’s done in past years now he’s got a family. Maybe not.

Because he had created this kind of lascivious persona (hiding in plain sight) people expected to be shocked by him and found it funny. They shouldn't have.

This is not so much a question but something I’ve been thinking about since the news broke, which pertains to what you’ve said here and I wonder if you have any thoughts. I was thinking back to when I first saw Russell Brand, pre BB etc, which was hosting some awards show (MTV or NME?) and he came across as absolutely vile. But later I came round to him and began to laugh too. Is it because he was so shocking in the things he said that we couldn’t believe he was that awful and it had to just be an act to be laughed at? Looking back now, putting aside the accusations, just watching the things he said turns the stomach. Did we somehow all unwittingly undergo some mass process of normalisation? Interested in your perspective.

I haven't actually read his books, but I understand he is been very transparent about how awful his behaviour was to his girlfriends at the time- not talking about criminally, but morally. I thought it was well known that he has acknowledged that and does feel sorry about it.
If you watch his YouTube channel, whether you agree with his political perspectives or not, he's undoubtedly researched the hell out of his content (political as well as the therapy/holistic/spiritual stuff) and of course it's possible that someone devotes their entire life to faking that type of passion hours a day, day in day out, meeting hundreds of people, interviewing, ice cold bathing....... just as a rouse to look like a 'non-rapist' - but just seems incredibly unlikely to me. I'd call that a 'conspiracy theory'! ;)

I also remember Katherine Ryan calling out a certain comedian not so long ago who the mumsnet universe decided was RB so it's not a shock

I'm not who you asked, but it might be because we assume everything we watch has been vetted and is compliance with Ofcom. So it lulls us into a false sense of security that it's ok to watch this and actually if you don't think it's ok, then you are the problem and you're old fashioned and not progressive.

Your messages are clearly meant to be an apology for him, as is your attempts to ignore the rape allegations and focus on the TV content.

He hasn't been very transparent because he hasn't included what he did to the women who have come forward.

He isn't sorry at all. He fooled you by writing about his promiscuity to muddy the waters about the rapes and grooming.

Nope. Lots of people at the time hated Russell Brand and found him not funny at all. With comedy, different people kind different things funny. If you laughed then but don't laugh now, that's either because you're older and your tastes have changed, or because the current culture you live in disapproves of those comedy routines and that disapproval has rubbed off on you.

Because he was funny with it and also showed vulnerability and (at times relatable) authenticity – perhaps a sense of saying the sort of things other people just think and exposing his flaws.

In this sense, he was obviously talented at his actual job as a comedian (although like loads of successful comedians will not have been to everyone’s taste).

And this is obviously what comedians are expected to do – push at boundaries and taboos and say the unsayable.

His ‘lascivious’ persona also worked to some extent because plenty of people did consider him attractive.

Glad to see the current media circus has convinced you of his absolute guilt with no trial at all! Job done!

‘Researched the hell out of’ describes what the ‘MSM’ did before publishing the story about Brand.

it very much doesn’t describe what Brand did on his YouTube channel.

When I first heard something was breaking with dispatches and channel four about RB I didn't think it would be this.

I thought it would be that he'd uncovered something about covid or the jabs or something along those lines that was going to be disclosed.

I didn't think badly of him.

I'm not doubting anyone's statements about the claims but I can't judge him either because no one knows what's happened except who was there.

I feel sorry for everyone involved.

Was this before or after the chicken incident?

Yes, Jade was racist. She had probably heard a few racist insults in her life, probably referred to "Pakis" herself among friends. She came from Bermondsey FGS. She'd probably slag off someone from Ireland with "ignorant bog-trotter" or some such. She was an equal opportunity insulter. (Obviously this is only my opinion, based my experience of South London over the years, where I come from, and on some people I've encountered here in NE England.)

I didn't particularly notice the other stuff, and you are quite correct, it's probably because I'm white. Also because I was paying particular attention to language, as it is my academic speciality.

I thought of putting "black" features, but it didn't seem quite right. "negroid" was the only quasi-technical alternative term that sprang to mind as I was writing the post.

My brothers work mate... uncles friend next door neighbours Aunty Mary knew a man that was related to Russel Brand via her 6th cousin once removed girlfriends ex boyfriends best friends sister. AMA.
🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Calling it a meda circus may make it sound chaotic to you but that's not the reality. It's not the circus I believe, but the dedicated team of investigators who worked on this case for 3 years.

The 'media circus' as you call it, didn't even know about the investigation, apart from select journalists.

And yes, I believe them over you, a RB fangirl or fanboi.

But the women who were there have told you what happened to them, and what he did to them, and you don't believe them.

So spare them your mealy-mouthed pity.

Check companies house ... Russel Brand is a director of two companies. John Noel (Linnen) is co director of both. He describes John Noel as his manager...in truth they are long term buissness partners. John Noel runs a massive celebrity / talent management agency and has been behind many big productions (Big Brother spin offs etc).

The idea that Russell Brand has no connections with the mainstream media is utter nonsense. He is a middle aged, middle class, white, multi millionaire who made his money out of mainstream media, and continues to have a very real and very deep financial interests in the industry.

Basically, the Media exploited Jade, who was clearly a vulnerable adult. She thought she'd found a way to escape the life which seemed to lie ahead of her, by going on Big Brother. Back then, there was quite a lot of drinking, and Channel 4 allowed footage of an extremely drunk Jade removing her clothes to be transmitted to the nation.

Following that, she was further exploited by the media. She was invited back onto Celebrity Big Brother where the chicken incident occurred. And then her life became sheer hell, and an awful lot of newspapers and magazines made a lot of money.

Racist or not, nobody deserves that

It's funny that Brand's empty headed fans believe he was a threat to the establishment, and such nonsense. They all bleat the same thing, how he tells "the truth", and how he was a threat. He really isn't as important as his Lemmings want to believe. Truth is, Brand has always been scientifically illiterate. He's fairly clueless on many levels. As for the anti-woke stance he's developed of late, many, many others have been doing that for years. It's nothing new.

I thought of putting "black" features, but it didn't seem quite right. "negroid" was the only quasi-technical alternative term that sprang to mind as I was writing the post.

@SequentialAnalyst

It's got nothing to do with 'negroid features'. There are lots of beautiful black and mixed race women. Jade was unattractive, that's a more fitting word. And very bitter towards Shilpa.

Glad to see the current media circus has convinced you of his absolute guilt with no trial at all! Job done!

do you honestly think he’s that influential, that media organisations spent four years and huge amounts of money just to take him down because “they” - who’s they, btw? - think he is a threat?? That’s absolutely hilarious, most people think he is a total crank.

I believe the evidence put forward because it’s convincing and well-researched. Contemporaneous rape crisis and medical reports, text messages with admissions, have not been faked. I work in the media so I know how hard things are to stand up and get past the lawyers. When the whole “MSM conspiracy” rubbish starts pouring, honestly, you don’t know how much of an idiot you are making of yourself.

It isn't relevant but I remember Shilpa Shetty and she came across as a lovely person, far too good for BB. I also remember Jade being encouraged to strip on BB and thought that was horrible. BB really destroyed people, it was a nasty, cynical show.

The cognitive dissonance is strong in many of Russell's supporters. Seems a lot of people can't handle the idea that they have been duped by a predator.