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Russell Brand Makes Food Demand, Asks for Vegetarian Jail Meals

Russell Brand has reportedly asked for vegetarian meals at HMP Wandsworth, where he is serving more than ten years. Inmates there live on a £3.12 daily food budget, and a prison source says no one will cook special meals for him.

By Alistair Sterling

November 15, 20262 min read

Russell Brand Makes Food Demand, Asks for Vegetarian Jail Meals)

Russell Brand has reportedly asked for vegetarian meals at HMP Wandsworth in south London, days into a sentence of more than ten years for rape and sexual assault. The comedian and TV presenter is said to have been "barely eating" since he arrived, in a story where Russell Brand makes food a first point of friction inside.

Brand had previously said he went back on his vegan diet and began eating meat. He even claimed to have eaten steak at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in 2024.

What prison food looks like

Inmates at Wandsworth live on a basic food budget of £3.12 per prisoner per day, according to reports. That is less than the price of a high-street coffee.

Prison insiders suggest the switch may be an attempt to avoid the standard meat options. One prison source said the jail can normally accommodate vegetarian requests. But Brand "is going to have to get used to eating whatever vegetarian meals are on the menu", the source said, adding: "there certainly won't be anyone preparing special meals for him."

Under a standard regime, Brand is limited to a £19.80 weekly spending allowance, a Freeview TV, a DVD player and limited phone calls. He is said to have a fortune of £15million.

Life on C-wing

Brand will serve two-thirds of his sentence, roughly seven years, before he is eligible for release. He has been placed in a single cell on C-wing with around 100 other vulnerable prisoners for his own safety.

Given his profile and the nature of his convictions, staff have reportedly warned him to drop an "arrogant" attitude. They have also suggested he cut his long hair and beard to make himself less recognizable.

Other inmates have already taunted him, according to the reports. Prisoners are said to have chanted: "There's a Brand new nonce on the wing... You're not a superstar in here, Brand."

Brand has also reportedly approached a prison chaplain to ask about joining a Bible study group.

A jail under criticism

HMP Wandsworth is a 170-year-old Victorian prison that houses more than 1,500 men. The Independent Monitoring Board, which oversees conditions in prisons, recently criticized it as "inhumane", "overcrowded" and "squalid". Prisoner-on-prisoner attacks happen on average once a day.

Severe staff shortages mean inmates are often locked in their cells for up to 22 hours a day.

Sources say Brand's swagger disappeared soon after the gates closed behind him. "When he arrived, he came floating in almost as though he was the Messiah," one source said. "You could tell immediately that it was an act. He was incredibly pale, almost as though he was going to be sick."

Reality reportedly hit when he was marched to his cell. He is said to have asked officers whether he could have privacy when using the toilet. "He looked absolutely horrified," the insider said. "Prison cells aren't exactly designed with personal dignity in mind."