Russell Brand at court to answer rape and assault charges
Russell Brand has arrived at court for a hearing at which he is expected to enter his plea on charges of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault.The broadcaster, comedian and actor did not speak to reporters and looked straight ahead as he entered Southwark Crown Court wearing a dark suit and unbuttoned shirt.He faces one allegation of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two further counts of sexual assault. The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1999 and 2005, and relate to four women.Friday's one-day plea and trial preparation hearing is being held in advance of a possible trial at a later date.
After being charged in April, Mr Brand, 49, released a video saying he was not a rapist and had never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity."I'm now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and I'm incredibly grateful for that," he told followers at the time.Mr Brand, who was born in Essex, rose to fame as a stand-up comedian and became a household name as host of TV shows like Big Brother's Big Mouth, and with his own radio programmes on stations including BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music.He went on to establish a Hollywood career, starring in films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
How religion affects relationships and sex for people in the UK
It was love at first sight for Adarsh Ramchurn. "I couldn't control it," he says of his flourishing affection for Nav Sangha. But their relationship is "frowned upon" by some in their communities, they say, as Adarsh is Hindu and Nav is been an item for three years and say they receive hateful comments on social media when posting about their life are also abused because Adarsh, 24, has a darker skin tone than Nav, a form of prejudice known as colourism. "We push through it," says Nav, 22. "There are also people who are very supportive and that are in similar situations."Data compiled by YouGov in January suggests 45% of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK believe there is a God, or believe there are Gods. The next highest figure, 36%, is for the News spoke to Nav and Adarsh as well as a Christian from Married At First Sight (MAFS), a Muslim from The Only Way is Essex (Towie), and a former Jehovah's Witness for the Sex After documentary series. During a discussion between the participants, Nav was asked what the hardest bit about being a Sikh was. "Probably getting the backlash of being with a Hindu," she and Ardash knew their interfaith relationship could be an issue for their parents, so spoke to them early."I know it's different for every family, there can be difficult dynamics," says Adarsh. "But if you can have the open discussion [about] dating outside of your religion… I'd always say [you should]." Something Adarsh's parents were quick to ask him about was couple say, if they were to wed, they would probably do a Sikh and a Hindu ceremony."If we have kids, I feel like it's important that they learn about both religions and faiths," Nav adds. Adarsh agrees and says he's "looking forward to it".Junaid Ahmed's parents were not as accommodating. His fear of being rejected by them took hold at a young age. Junaid knew being gay contravened the Islamic beliefs he and his family shared."When I did finally come out [aged 18], I did expect the worst and… [it] did happen," he tells us. "They threw me out; they disowned me."He says he doesn't blame his parents for ostracising him. "I genuinely don't - it's made me the person I am today."Junaid, now aged 26 and a star of Towie, says he often gets abuse online from other Muslims because he is open about his sexual orientation, but "that [has] never changed my relationship with God". He says he is grateful for his religious upbringing and still prays Junaid, Martin Riley - who was brought up a Jehovah's Witness - was also ostracised by his in his case, it was because a few years ago he was expelled from his religion completely, in a process called Riley, as he is known to his friends, this meant being shunned by other members of his congregation - including close friends and family. His first marriage, which lasted 20 years, had broken down a few months before he was was a particularly strong believer and, while dating after he was expelled, he abided by the rule of not having sex before marriage. It was only when Riley began dating the woman who is now his wife, that he began seriously considering whether he wanted to continue adhering to the religion that he'd been part of for 40 years. His wife is not a Jehovah's Witness. "I realised that I did not want to have a future that didn't include her, whether that meant returning to the religion or not."After having sex with her for the first time, which he describes as being, "like in the movies", he recalls: "I was actually surprised by how guiltless I felt about the whole thing."Riley, 48, now considers himself an atheist. Looking back at his expulsion from the religion aged 42, he says: "It was devastating for me, at the time. Now I think it is probably one of the best things to ever happen to me." Unlike Riley, Sacha Jones did not grow up devoutly religious, but was baptised as a Christian last year after finding her faith. She has vowed to remain abstinent until she marries."I haven't slept with anyone since my baptism," she says. "So I'm fresh in the eyes of the Lord!"Sacha, 30, also says the culture around dating today makes it difficult to form a long-term relationship. Last year she participated in MAFS, but split up with her partner following the show."It's the absolute trenches out here in the dating world… it's difficult to trust a man anyway, but then to trust someone that doesn't fear God as well?"She says she doesn't miss sex as much as she might do because she isn't dating anyone at the moment. She believes the wait will be worth it - once she's married."I no longer lack purpose or peace," says Sacha, who isn't the "party animal" she once was. "I'm happier than I've ever been."
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Disposable vapes are officially BANNED in the UK as government cracks down on cheap nicotine dispensers commonly littered and sold to children
A ban on single-use vapes has today come into force across Britain as the government looks to crack down on waste and the growing number of children hooked on nicotine. Around five million disposable vapes were thrown away each week last year rather than being recycled - sparking major environmental concerns as the batteries can leak waste and cause fires. And a survey commissioned by NHS England last October revealed that around one in ten secondary school pupils were regular users of the devices. The new legislation means vapes must be considered 'reusable' - through being refillable or having a charging port - or they will be classed as illegal. Shops have already begun stocking 'rechargeable' versions of vapes which are retailing for the same price as the disposable offerings. Further moves to raise the age of sale of tobacco products and to regulate the displays, flavours and packaging of reusable vapes are also being taken forward through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Nature minister Mary Creagh was asked on Friday whether the new legislation would be enough and said: 'Well let's bring in the ban first. That's what I would say.' 'I'm confident that my colleagues in the Department of Health will not hesitate to use those powers should what we're doing this weekend not achieve the goals. 'But I'm confident that it is already sparking a conversation among young people, getting them to ask the questions, getting them to understand that there's no such place as "away" and that these are really difficult to recycle.' She added that most large vapes on the market do not have replaceable coils meaning they will fall within the scope of the ban. The government is also considering further ways to drive up levels of separately collected electrical waste including vapes as part of reforms to waste electrical and electronic equipment regulations. Under current rules, vape producers already have a legal responsibility to finance their collection for recycling. Vapes contain valuable and critical materials such as lithium and copper that are regularly binned in household waste, and if littered, they can cause fires and other damaging or toxic impacts on the environment and wildlife. Major eco organisations last week called on retailers to make more collection points available for the products. Director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) John Dunne also called on shop owners to do more. Mr Dunne said: 'This needs joined-up action from across the waste chain and more effort needs to be done to provide consumers with disposal points at the point of use and not just point of sale.' He added that while the UKVIA works to educate consumers on sustainable vape use and recycling initiatives 'more needs to be done'. 'We would encourage the Government to launch a national consumer education which includes responsible disposal of vapes, why vaping is much less harmful than smoking, and warning of the dangers of buying non-compliant products from the black market or other irregular sellers.' According to research by online nicotine retailer, Haypp, 82 per cent of disposable vape users stockpiled ahead of the ban. Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, urged shops to comply with the new laws, dubbing vapes a 'blight [on] our streets.' He added: 'We would also urge caution to anyone stockpiling disposable vapes. Failing to store disposable vapes correctly could cost lives, given the significant fire risk they pose.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Romesh Ranganathan reveals plans to step back from career in shock move - but insists he is not retiring
Romesh Ranganathan has revealed he's hitting pause on his hectic showbiz schedule - but insists he's not quitting for good. The funnyman, 47, best known for his hit BAFTA-winning series Rob & Romesh Vs, says he's taking a breather to spend more time at home. Speaking on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4, Romesh told host Lauren Laverne: 'There's no game plan. I'm just doing whatever feels good - I'm taking a step back.' But fans don't need to panic, as the Crawley-born comic made it clear he's not packing it in for good. Romesh also opened up about life before comedy, reflecting on his old job as a maths teacher and how tough it really was. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'There's not been a single day of my comedy career that's even come close to the stress I felt as a teacher,' he said. 'I cannot speak highly enough of teachers and teaching and how I loved that job.' Romesh met his wife Leesa in 2009 when they were both working at a secondary school in Crawley. The pair tied the knot and went on to welcome three children, Theo, Alex, and Charlie – with the comedian having tattoo of his sons' names. Romesh shot to fame with his deadpan style and has become a household name thanks to stand-up, panel shows, and hit series with pal Rob Beckett. Alongside his hugely successful comedy career and Radio 2 programme, he also co-owns Coughlans Bakery in Oxted, Surrey. And just last month, he delighted fans with his hands-on approach to running the business as he served customers coffees and pastries from behind the counter on Wednesday. The down-to-earth star didn't shy away from pausing his duties to pose for selfies and chat to fans, as well as record video messages for those who missed out. In May delighted fans with his hands-on approach to running the business as he served customers coffees and pastries from behind the counter He was fully kitted out in the bakery's branded cap and hoodie, with videos and photographs from his shift showing him collecting orders and processing payments. His fans were quick to take to social media to heap praise on the comedian for taking the time to speak to all his fans during his surprise shift behind the counter. It is not the first time he has done a stint working in the bakery chain, as he has also thrilled fans with shifts in its branches in Dorking and his hometown Crawley. In February, he told the BBC of his visits: 'It was nice to meet people. I just wanted to get involved. The crowds are better than my tour show.' Romesh, who is a vegan, had initially partnered with the bakery to create a vegan treat, called the Ranga Yum Yum, before going on to become a co-owner. The delicious snack was made a permanent fixture on the menu and Romesh was partly responsible for owner Sean Coughlan setting up a branch in his hometown. Sean previously said of Romesh's involvement: 'Romesh is working behind the counter because he wants to know more about the business. He loves it.' 'He is so down to earth, humble and genuinely one of the nicest guys I ever met,' he added.
