Misogyny and sexism of Russell Brand case have not gone away, say TV insiders

Television insiders say the culture of misogyny and sexism that enabled troubling behaviour by Russell Brand has not gone away. Their accounts, alongside evidence and testimony from Brand’s trial, have prompted renewed questions about whether broadcasters and production companies can prevent similar failures.

In the mid-2000s, researcher Naomi Harvey and two colleagues reported that Brand had asked a junior runner to collect female audience members’ phone numbers after a woman contacted them upset about an invitation for drinks. Banijay UK later found informal concerns, including about these requests, were not properly escalated or addressed, although it found no formal complaints. The article also describes fears about reporting a famous presenter, legal obstacles to publishing allegations, and reviews by the BBC, Channel 4 and Banijay.