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ITV executive backed Russell Brand despite complaints about his conduct
An account of Russell Brand’s ties to ITV has emerged as the BBC and Channel 4 face criticism over their past support for him. Sources say ITV executive Alison Sharman backed Brand and continued booking him for programmes after he gave a speech at a senior management conference in 2007 that attendees described as misogynistic and offensive.
The article says Sharman met Brand at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival, and that he later appeared on Richard and Judy’s Book Club and Loose Women. One source said some executives walked out of his conference speech, while another said entertainment controller Claudia Rosencrantz had earlier blocked Brand from hosting the 2006 Brit Awards; he hosted the 2007 event. Brand was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison after being convicted of rape and three sexual assaults.
In short
- Sources say ITV continued booking Brand after an offensive 2007 speech.
- Alison Sharman was described as a vocal supporter of Brand.
- Brand received a ten-and-a-half-year sentence for rape and sexual assaults.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “How ITV’s top bosses fell under the spell of ‘vile’ rapist Russell Brand: ALISON BOSHOFF”.