Noel Fielding Unaware of Russell Brand’s Crimes, Regrets Old Jokes
Great British Bake Off presenter Noel Fielding said he was horrified by Russell Brand's crimes and completely unaware of them. He broke his silence after Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months, as old clips of their jokes resurfaced.
British TV presenter Noel Fielding said he was "completely unaware" of Russell Brand's crimes until they became public, in his first statement since Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in jail for rape and sexual assault.
Fielding, 53, presents The Great British Bake Off. He and Brand were among the biggest names in British comedy during the noughties, appearing together on panel shows, at award ceremonies and at industry events.
What Fielding said
"I was horrified and deeply disturbed to learn of Russell Brand's crimes, which I was completely unaware of until they became public knowledge," Fielding said in the statement. "My thoughts are with the women whose courage brought him to justice."
He rejected the idea that the two were close friends. They played up the relationship for the cameras and in the media, he said, but he considered it professional rather than personal.
"I appeared on TV, radio and live charity shows with him," Fielding said. "I have had no contact with him for many years."
The jokes that resurfaced
Since the conviction, clips of the pair's past appearances have circulated online. Some contain jokes about sexual assault and underage girls, and viewers have criticized them.
Fielding addressed the material directly. "Looking back at some of the jokes I made alongside him, I was appalled," he said. "They were horrible and inappropriate, and I very much regret them."
One clip comes from a 2007 episode of The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. Fellow panellist Jonathan Ross joked about the two comedians' reputations with women, and Fielding replied: "How dare you? We're not rapists."
Brand then asked Fielding whether he had committed the crime. Fielding answered, "Well, if I have, I'd be leaving the scene of the crime like this," and pulled his cape over his face. Singer Lily Allen, also on the panel, called the comments "horrendous" in 2023. "It was the culture," she told Grazia.
Another resurfaced interview shows Fielding joking about young female fans of his comedy series The Mighty Boosh. "Some of our fans are quite young, so, you know, we didn't take advantage," he said at the time.
How the pair were linked
The two met at the NME Awards in the early 2000s and became known as "The Goth Detectives". They collaborated on comedy sketches and appeared together on The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. Fielding also went on Brand's BBC Radio 2 show.
Fielding has been seen in public for the first time since the conviction, at his local corner shop, where he kept a low profile. He has never been accused of misconduct, and there is no suggestion he knew about Brand's crimes.
