‘I spoke to Russell Brand two days after his wedding – he asked me a personal question’

Journalist Katie Glass has described a 2017 interview with Russell Brand, recalling that he complimented her eyes and asked, “Do you want a cuddle?”, then hugged her. Her account has drawn renewed attention after Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assaults, prompting her to reconsider the encounter and his public image as a spiritually transformed man.

Glass was interviewing Brand about his book *Recovery* at a hotel outside London, two days after his wedding to Laura Gallacher; their daughter was ten months old. She recalled his charm and flirtation, but said she was sceptical of his claims of spiritual change and that he told her he had no regrets about his past as a sex addict. Brand, 51, was convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others in incidents between 2004 and 2009; he was acquitted of two other rape charges and attempted indecent assault. He denied the charges, and two further allegations are under investigation.