BBC Apologizes as Russell Brand Review Finds Employees “Joked About” Host Exposing Himself

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The BBC has expressed regret to its employees who were impacted by Russell Brand‘s conduct. As a highly-regarded presenter at the corporation, some staff felt that he could do no wrong, leading them to remain quiet about any issues.

Yesterday, the BBC shared the results of a review they conducted about my behavior during my tenure with 6 Music and Radio 2, from 2006 to 2008. This assessment was prompted by serious accusations against me that surfaced in 2023 – claims involving sexual misconduct, such as harassment and rape.

The investigation was conducted by Peter Johnston, who serves as the BBC’s head of editorial complaints and reviews, upon the order of the director-general Tim Davie. Johnston examined a total of eight complaints, two of which were lodged during Brand’s tenure at the BBC.

In 2007, a BBC staff member lodged a single formal grievance against Brand following an incident during the recording of Radio 2 shows. Johnston’s report stated that during one show, Brand urinated in a cup and into a bottle during another. Moreover, he displayed aggressive behavior by hurling objects at the screen in frustration when the production team made a mistake during the second show. Although this complaint was brought to the attention of the then-Controller, Johnston acknowledged it wasn’t handled properly. After the complaint was submitted, the employee chose not to participate in the show anymore.

Johnston investigated another accusation, which claimed that Brand had inappropriately exposed himself to a lady inside the restroom of the BBC office in Los Angeles. It was reported that a complaint was filed, but the incident was widely known and often joked about within the bureau. The woman involved told Johnston that she felt embarrassed and chose not to discuss it or pursue action, instead choosing to downplay the issue when it came up in conversation.

Amid whispers among staff members claiming that Brand often invited groups of women to the office and engaged in sexual activities within the restrooms, Johnston penned: “Some, who were more closely involved with the shows, labeled Russell Brand as promiscuous or uncontrollable. However, they didn’t observe any non-consensual or possibly illegal behavior, nor did they express concerns or file complaints about such matters during that period.

In summary, Johnston highlighted that the initial formal grievance was used as a case study showing the BBC failed to handle Brand’s conduct correctly. Besides this single instance, there was no indication that Brand’s actions were formally brought to the attention of the management during that period.

On the other hand, he explained that numerous BBC employees and freelancers, particularly those in less senior positions, found Russell Brand challenging and hard to collaborate with due to his behavior being described as extreme. However, they believed that voicing their concerns would be futile because they thought that Russell Brand, a well-known presenter, had the backing of the station management and wouldn’t listen to their complaints.

As a gamer, I’d put it like this: “I’ve realized that in the past, some presenters at BBC misused their roles. To prevent such incidents from happening again, we’ve overhauled our complaint process to make it centralized and consistent across all departments. Additionally, we’ve beefed up our anti-bullying and harassment policy to ensure a safer and fairer environment for everyone involved.

The company understands that the Metropolitan Police have been probing Brand for multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, both in London and across the U.K., after a joint investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches, The Times, and The Sunday Times in September 2023. However, this former comedian and host has refuted all charges leveled against him.

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2025-01-30 16:55