A television appearance by the late comedian Sean Lock has resurfaced following Russell Brand’s conviction for rape and sexual assaults, highlighting criticism Lock made about Brand’s public behaviour and political commentary years earlier.
During an episode of Channel 4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats, Lock criticised Brand’s comments discouraging people from voting, accusing him of hypocrisy and attention-seeking.
Lock argued that Brand had repeatedly changed his position, moving from encouraging people to avoid polling stations to questioning who voters should support.
“So if you reduce that to what he is actually saying, he is saying what everybody says on every bus stop on news days,” Lock said. “Huh politicians. What are they like hey? How did that lot get in bloody hell.”
Lock Clashed With Mel C Over Brand’s Political Views
Spice Girl Mel C defended Brand’s political position during the discussion, asking how political change could happen if people did not come together rather than simply complain.
Lock responded that people got the politicians they deserved because they failed to participate in politics or take an interest in the process.
He then delivered a strong criticism of Brand’s approach, describing his comments to politically disengaged people as self-serving and attention-seeking.
“Him saying stuff to people who are disaffected already and are not engaged with the political process and don’t vote is the most moronic, self-serving, pathetic bit of attention seeking wk that has ever been spewed out of a moron’s f*ing mouth in history,” Lock said.
Comedian David O’Doherty, who was also part of the discussion, suggested that Brand should be given some leeway, describing the political situation at the time as “rubbish”.
Lock Said He Feared His Daughters Bringing Someone Like Brand Home
Lock also explained that his personal feelings about Brand were connected to his role as a father.
“Probably the reason I hate him so much is that I am a dad, and I have this fear that one day my daughters will bring something like that home,” he said.
He then joked about the prospect of such a person entering his home and making an exaggerated display of politeness.
Following the resurfacing of the clip, social media users praised Lock for his earlier criticism, with some saying the comedian had recognised Brand’s behaviour long before his criminal convictions.
Brand Convicted of Raping a Woman and Sexually Assaulting Three Others
Brand, 51, was found guilty following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. The convictions included the rape of a woman who was 21 at the time and three sexual assaults involving different women.
The rape conviction concerned an incident in 2009 involving a fan whom Brand had selected from the audience after a performance at the Hammersmith Apollo.
The woman, who was in a relationship at the time, later agreed to visit Brand’s £2.3 million Hampstead home.
She told the court that Brand forced her to undress, shower and brush her teeth before they went to bed. She said he subsequently pushed her face down into a pillow, removed his condom and raped her, leaving her struggling to breathe.
The woman said she was left bleeding and that Brand later told her to “clean up the mess you’ve made” before switching on the television to watch the science-fiction series Quantum Leap.
She was eventually escorted out by a member of staff, while a driver handed her tissues during the journey home. She later underwent HIV testing because of concerns about possible infection, but the results were negative.
The woman also told the court that she later confronted Brand, saying: “You treated me like an animal.” She said he replied: “I’m sorry.”
Prosecutors Described Brand’s Treatment of Women During Trial
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones described Brand as a sexual predator during the proceedings, arguing that he treated women as disposable and used them to satisfy his sexual desires.
She told the court that the women involved did not matter to him and that he did not necessarily need to know their names.
Other complainants described being forced into sexual activity shortly after meeting Brand, with prosecutors presenting evidence that he had exploited his celebrity status when pursuing women.
After approximately eight-and-a-half hours of deliberations, the jury found Brand guilty of the 2009 rape and three sexual assaults.
One sexual assault involved an MTV employee at a party in Soho. Brand was cleared of an additional allegation that he orally raped the woman in a toilet afterwards.
He was also convicted of sexually assaulting a Capital Radio employee in a corridor in 2005 and a Channel 4 employee during a forced massage in 2009.
The jury acquitted him of two other rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault.
Police Investigating Further Allegations Against Brand
Following the verdict, further allegations involving Brand emerged, including accusations concerning two additional women.
One allegation involves a woman who was 16 when she reportedly entered into a relationship with Brand, who was 30 at the time. She has alleged that he groomed and raped her.
The woman, identified by the pseudonym Alice in a 2023 Channel 4 Dispatches investigation, claimed that a BBC vehicle transported her from school to Brand’s home, where she was subsequently abused.
She also alleged that Brand called her “my little dolly” during their relationship and that she once punched him to stop an attack.
The Crown Prosecution Service is considering further charges, while detectives have appealed for additional alleged victims to contact police.
At least two other women reportedly came forward with allegations of sexual abuse before the trial, but prosecutors did not proceed with those cases.
Brand also faces civil claims in Britain and the United States. One woman has brought a High Court claim alleging that he forced himself on her at his Los Angeles home in 2008.
Metropolitan Police Chief Says More Women Could Come Forward
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he would not be surprised if additional women reported allegations against Brand following the convictions.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Rowley said the outcome could encourage people who had previously been reluctant to report sexual offences.
“It does make a difference because people see it is possible, and you will be believed,” he said.
He confirmed that police were investigating two further cases involving Brand and said more complainants could come forward.
Rowley also criticised aspects of the public discussion surrounding the trial, saying some reported comments came close to victim-blaming.
He explained that sexual offending frequently involves individuals in positions of authority exploiting people with less power, adding that such cases were not limited to celebrities.
He said police would support complainants and seek to hold perpetrators accountable regardless of their public standing.
Katherine Ryan Describes ‘Grief and Relief’ Following Verdict
Comedian Katherine Ryan has spoken about her reaction to Brand’s convictions, describing her feelings as a mixture of “grief and relief”.
On her podcast, Telling Everybody Everything, Ryan said the verdict had left her emotional and affected by the experiences of the women who came forward despite Brand’s fame, wealth and supporters.
She said there had been some justice but stressed that the consequences of sexual abuse would remain with survivors beyond the conclusion of the trial.
Ryan also said many women were discussing their feelings privately following the verdict, with some experiencing complicated and conflicting emotions.
The comedian had previously spoken to Louis Theroux about a male figure in the entertainment industry whom she described as a predator. She said she had confronted the individual directly but did not identify him by name.
Although her comments led to speculation that she was referring to Brand and their time on Roast Battle in 2018, Ryan has not confirmed the identity of the person or the programme involved.
Ryan Condemns Brand’s Barrister’s Exchange With Journalist
Ryan also criticised an incident outside Southwark Crown Court involving Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter KC, and Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin.
Urwin’s reporting had helped bring allegations against Brand into the public domain.
Winter confronted the journalist after the verdict, telling her: “I hope you are pleased with yourself.”
Urwin replied that she was pleased justice had been done. Winter then responded: “Well, it wasn’t. You f***ed it,” before adding, “Congratulations.”
Ryan described the exchange as unprofessional, inappropriate and aggressive.
During the trial, Winter had argued that media coverage of the allegations had prejudiced the proceedings and made it impossible for Brand to receive a fair trial.
However, Judge Mr Justice Bennathan rejected an attempt by Brand to prevent the trial from going ahead because of the publicity surrounding the allegations.
Questions Raised Over BBC and Channel 4’s Previous Treatment of Brand
Brand’s convictions have also renewed scrutiny of how broadcasters handled his conduct during his years working in television and radio.
In his memoir, Brand claimed that his former BBC boss, Lesley Douglas, who was then controller of Radio 2 and 6 Music, had been “incredibly tolerant” of his inappropriate sexual behaviour.
He also claimed that he had been allowed to use BBC disabled toilets for sexual encounters with winners of 6 Music competitions.
The claims have prompted questions about what senior BBC staff knew about his behaviour while he was a presenter.
Channel 4 executives are also facing scrutiny over Brand’s conduct during his time working for the broadcaster, including allegations that sexual misconduct took place in professional settings.
Detectives considered whether there was sufficient evidence to pursue cases against people in the entertainment industry and Brand’s aides over alleged assistance or enabling behaviour, but decided there was not enough evidence to bring charges.
Brand was remanded in custody following the verdict. His wife, Laura Gallacher, left the court separately after the convictions.
