The BBC has said it is looking into allegations by a woman who claimed Russell Brand exposed himself to her and then laughed about it afterwards on his BBC radio show.
Brand, 48, has previously been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four other women with the alleged offences taking place between 2006 and 2013.
The comedian and presenter has denied the claims, which were first reported by the Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches, saying his relationships were “always consensual”.
The Metropolitan Police subsequently said it had received a sexual assault allegation against Brand dating back to 2003.
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Brand: ‘Could we have done more?’
Brand’s latest accuser is a woman – who the BBC is calling ‘Olivia’ to protect her identity – who accuses Brand of sexual misconduct in 2008.
The alleged incident is the first time he has been accused of sexual misconduct and then heard talking about it, according to BBC News.
And it raises serious questions for the corporation about how that part of the show, which was pre-recorded, was able to be broadcast just days later, BBC News reported.
‘I said no, no, no’
Olivia claimed Brand exposed himself to her 15 years ago in Los Angeles while she was working in the same building as the BBC.
She said she answered the door to Brand and his team, who were there to pre-record an episode of The Russell Brand Show for Radio 2, on 16 June 2008.
Olivia said she went into the bathroom and then noticed Brand behind her.
In her account to the BBC, Brand said he was going to have sex with her and she said “no, you’re not”.
She claimed he then showed her his genitals “and I said no, no, no”.
Olivia said Brand then put his genitals back in his trousers and the bathroom door was shut when there was a “banging” noise, with someone saying “Russell, you are wanted in the radio studio”.
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Accuser says she felt ‘disgusted’ after incident
Olivia said she returned to her desk in disbelief at what had happened, and texted a BBC employee in the office about it.
She said the employee told her that he knew what had happened because Brand was talking about it in the studio, BBC News reported.
It also reported Olivia had later tracked down the recording after recent allegations against Brand emerged.
The radio episode, which aired on 21 June 2008, featured an exchange between Brand and his colleague Matt Morgan who said, “[It’s been] 25 minutes since he showed his w**** to a lady” and referred to “the receptionist”.
Brand is apparently heard laughing in the recording.
Olivia, who has never worked as a receptionist, said she felt disgusted when she heard the audio had not been cut out.
Olivia never made a complaint, according to the BBC News report, which added BBC management was informed about the incident in 2019, but no formal action was taken.
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BBC to investigate
A BBC spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry to hear of these allegations and we will look into them.
“We are conducting a review to look at allegations of this nature and if the woman who has shared her story is willing to speak to us, we would be very keen to hear from her and anyone else who may have information.
“A key part of the review is to understand what complaints were made at the time, if there was knowledge of Russell Brand’s conduct while he worked on BBC radio, and what was done as a result. We will of course speak to the bureau team and anyone who was working there in 2008 as part of this.
“Further, the Director General [Tim Davie] has been very clear that some broadcasts from that period were, and are, inexcusable and totally unacceptable, and would never be aired today.”
Matt Morgan said in a statement reported on BBC News: “I was not aware until now of the nature of this encounter. I’ve expressed my regrets now looking back at the impact of the show and this is a further example.
“The recent coverage has been very distressing to read and I reiterate my absolute condemnation of any form of the mistreatment of women”
Sky News has reached out to Brand’s representatives for comment.