In his first statement since Russell Brand was sentenced to over 10 years in prison earlier this week following his conviction on rape and sexual assault charges, Noel Fielding addressed his relationship with the disgraced actor.
“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 a statement to The Sun. “My thoughts are with the women whose courage brought him to justice.”
Fielding said that although he appeared numerous times on television, radio, and live charity shows alongside Brand and “played it up for the cameras and in the media,” he “considered it a professional relationship, rather than a personal one.” The Great British Bake Off presenter added, “I have had no contact with him for many years.”
Following Brand’s conviction, a clip of Fielding joking about rape on Channel 4’s Big Fat Quiz of the Year resurfaced. In the 2007 episode, host Jimmy Carr invites Rob Brydon, David Mitchell, Jonathan Ross, Fielding, and Brand to the show alongside singer Lily Allen, the only woman on the panel. Ross describes her as a “sexually attractive young lady” and cautions that she has been placed next to “two of the best known cocksmen of the business,” referring to Brand and Fielding. As the shot cuts to Fielding and Brand, Fielding replies: “How dare you? We’re not rapists.”
In his statement to The Sun, Fielding said, “Looking back at some of the jokes I made alongside him I was appalled. They were horrible and inappropriate, and I very much regret them.”
On Monday, Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison following his conviction at his rape trial. A jury in London found Brand guilty on four of the seven charges against him, including one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Brand was found not guilty on two additional counts of rape, as well as one count of attempted indecent assault. The allegations against him were tied to claims made by six women between 1999 and 2009.
Six more women have come forward with claims of sexual misconduct against Brand following the conviction. The new allegations against the actor span from 2005 to 2015, six years after the most recent incident covered in his rape and sexual assault trial, which had accusations from 2004 to 2009.
