Russell Brand has effectively been canceled after four women made serious accusations against the Hollywood actor and comedian, including of sexual assault and rape.
The BBC removed a number of television and audio shows that feature Brand’s content Tuesday. This comes on the heels of Channel 4’s removal of old episodes of “Big Brother’s Big Mouth,” and “The Great British Bake Off,” according to Deadline. “We’ve reviewed the content and made a considered decision to remove some of it, having assessed that it now falls below public expectations,” a spokesperson for the BBC said.
After allegations of sexual assault and rape, Russell Brand is being canceled. His comedy tour was halted, YouTube has stopped all ad revenues on his popular channel, and the BBC has begun removing all content that features him. pic.twitter.com/wegkmuKEQE
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) September 19, 2023
The decision to remove Brand’s content was not taken lightly by the organization.
It was noted that the BBC “does not ban or remove content when it is a matter of public record unless we have justification for doing so.”
BBC didn’t specify which shows have already been removed, or which may be slotted for removal in the near future. However, reports indicate an episode of QI has disappeared from BBC iPlayer. An edition of “The Joe Wicks Podcast” with Brand has also reportedly been removed from BBC Sounds, according to Deadline.
YouTube, one of Brand’s most lucrative income streams, has also taken action against the star amid the backlash following the allegations. YouTube suspended the revenue on his channel Tuesday putting a major dent in Brand’s earing potential. Brand has amassed a total of 6.6 million subscribers on YouTube alone.
Brand’s own team has also moved forward on damage control by postponing upcoming live shows that were previously scheduled as part of his “Bipolarisation” tour.
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“We are postponing these few remaining addiction charity fundraiser shows, we don’t like doing it – but we know you’ll understand,” his team wrote in a singular sentence that was released as a statement, according to Deadline. (RELATED: Female Comedian Who Rejected Russell Brand, Defends Him Amid Sexual Assault Allegations)
Brand continues to deny all allegations made against him, and insists that any interaction with his accusers was consensual.
The demise of his business and reputation has to date been based solely on accusations made against him. None of the alleged victims have moved forward to file criminal charges at this time.