Noel Fielding ‘appalled’ at ‘horrible jokes’ he made with Russell Brand - The Independent

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Noel Fielding has said he is “appalled” by the “horrible” jokes he had made alongside Russell Brand in the past.

The Great British Bake Off presenter expressed his regret days after Brand, 51, was jailed for 10-and-a-half years after he was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

In a statement to The Sun, Fielding said he was “horrified” by Brand’s crimes and had only ever considered their relationship to be a professional one.

Fielding has not been accused of any wrongdoing and was not linked to Brand’s trial and conviction in any way.

The 53-year-old 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. My thoughts are with the women whose courage brought him to justice.

“I appeared on TV, radio and live charity shows with him, and whilst we played it up for the cameras and in the media, I considered it a professional relationship, rather than a personal one. I have had no contact with him for many years.

“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.”

A clip of Brand and Fielding joking about rape on the Big Fat Quiz of the Year resurfaced following Brand’s conviction.

The episode, which aired in 2007, saw host Jimmy Carr welcome Rob Brydon, David Mitchell, Jonathan Ross, Fielding and Brand onto the panel alongside singer Lily Allen, who was 21 at the time and the only woman on the show.

“I’m a bit concerned because look where you’ve put us,” Ross tells Carr in the clip: “You’ve put the only sexually attractive young lady – well, the only young lady full stop, she happens to be very attractive as well – near two of the best known cocksmen of the business.” Ross was referring to Brand and Fielding, who were seated to the left of Allen.

“I’m going to insist as a sort of uncle figure in Lily’s life that she moves over there because obviously that’s the sexless zone,” Ross continues, pointing to Brydon and Mitchell, who looked at one another and nodded in agreement. “And then, Lily might go home with her dress still on.”

Fielding then replies: “How dare you? We’re not rapists.”

Allen later spoke about the uncomfortable moment in an interview 16 years later. “I was on a chat show with Russell Brand and Noel Fielding and Jonathan Ross. And there are comments, I think, about me being raped or something,” she told Grazia in 2023.

“And I laugh along with it. In retrospect, that’s really horrendous. It makes me uncomfortable, but I don’t think I felt that at the time, because it was the culture.”