Russell Brand - latest: BBC to probe whether cars took accuser, 16, to star's house
The comedian, 48, is facing a new allegation of sexual assault that is being probed by police.
The BBC's internal review into Russell Brand will also investigate whether one of its cars was used to take a 16-year-old from school to the comedian's house.
One of the women who featured in a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary that saw separate allegations of sexual assault and rape from four women between 2006 and 2013 claimed she had dated the comedian when she was a schoolgirl - and that a BBC car had taken her to Brand's home.
She said she wanted to know why the BBC had not looked into Brand's behaviour at the time.
"I don't think he was being held to the same standards as other presenters or newsreaders," she said in an interview with Woman's Hour. "There were exceptions and allowances made for him and we need to ask ourselves why."
BBC director general Tim Davie said they would "look at any complaints made about Russell Brand's conduct during his time, what was known at the time, what was done", including "the position regarding any cars used by the BBC at that time”.
His pledge came after the Metropolitan Police said it received a report of an alleged sexual assault in Soho in central London in 2003 after allegations were made against Brand.
‘Several women’ are said to have contacted The Times and The Sunday Times in the wake of its joint investigation with Channel 4 Dispatches.
Latest updates
Russell Brand allegations timeline: What has he been accused of in the past few days? (Yahoo News)
Brand sent BBC car to pick me up from school, says accuser, 16 (Telegraph)
Channel 4 and BBC bosses to address TV event amid Russell Brand allegations (PA)
Brand vehemently denies the allegations and said all of his relationships have been “consensual”.
Read our latest updates below.
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BBC Russell Brand investigation will look at comedian’s use of cars after schoolgirl’s allegation
BBC director general Tim Davie has announced a review into Rusell Brand’s time at the corporation following allegations of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse against the comedian. Brand denies all the allegations. Davie has now announced a review will take place “as swiftly as possible” with results in weeks.
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BBC Refuses To Rule Out External Russell Brand Review As Tim Davie Says Issues Are “Not Wholly Historic” – RTS Cambridge
BBC Director General Tim Davie has declined to rule out an external inquiry into the Russell Brand allegations as he stresses the issues surrounding the situation are “not wholly historic.” Pressed on the BBC’s internal review at the RTS Cambridge Convention and whether the BBC could look outside the corporation for help, he said: “I …
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BBC Boss Says Russell Brand Allegations Show That Industry Needs to Be “Utterly Vigilant” Against Abuses of Power
tBBC director general Tim Davie has spoken publicly for the first time about the recent allegations against Russell Brand, who was a major figure at the network for several years. On the first day of Royal Television Society’s Cambridge Cambridge, where Brand was — unsurprisingly — a regular topic of discussion on stage, in his first question …
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Work conducted after Brand left BBC Radio 2 led to 'significant departures', BBC boss says
BBC director general Tim Davie has said a “rigorous piece of work” was conducted when Russell Brand departed BBC Radio 2 but noted that there will always be questions in hindsight on whether more could have been done at the time.
Mr Davie was the director of audio at the corporation when Brand left his Radio 2 show in 2008 after he and guest Jonathan Ross left a “lewd” voicemail for Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs – who died in 2016 – about his granddaughter.
Asked why more was not done at the time during a session at the Royal Television Society (RTS) Cambridge Conference on Wednesday, Mr Davie said they did a “rigorous piece of work” on the situation which led to “significant departures”.
He added: “I always look back with hindsight when you hear things coming out and you go ‘Could you have done more?’ We’re always going to have questions.”
The BBC boss said he is “proud” of the culture at the corporation, adding: “We’re having, I think, profound conversations and we have been for years now in terms of saying are we getting it right in terms of ensuring that (there are) no abuses of power, that people behave flawlessly in terms of respecting each other, kindness.” - H
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Russell Brand: Suella Braverman urges women to come forward after sexual assualt allegations against comedian
The Home Secretary said she wants the Met’s investigation to be given time ‘to play out’
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Council probe into fencing surrounding Russell Brand's pub amid rape and sexual assault claims
The day after the Dispatches episode featuring Brand's accusers was aired, the comedian's pub, the Crown Inn in Pishill, was fenced off with hessian fabric.
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Russell Brand’s prank call to rape helpline in 2008
The incident has attracted renewed attention following sexual assault allegations made against the comedian, which he strongly denies.
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First look at Russell Brand’s time at Channel 4 finds ‘no reports’ to bosses
Brand has strongly denied the allegations.
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Channel 4 Boss Alex Mahon Says ‘Allegations Made Against Russell Brand Are Horrendous’
Alex Mahon, boss of U.K. public service broadcaster Channel 4, has called the allegations against comedian Russell Brand “horrendous” and has confirmed the network is investigating the comedian’s behaviour. Brand has denied all of the allegations.
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Channel 4 and BBC bosses to address TV event amid Russell Brand allegations
Brand has strongly denied the allegations.
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