‘I was in HMP Wandsworth like Russell Brand – this will be his biggest problem in prison’

A former inmate of HMP Wandsworth predicts Russell Brand’s biggest challenge in prison will be boredom and loneliness, rather than the loss of celebrity status. Brand is currently held at the south London category B prison after being convicted of rape and three counts of sexual assault and sentenced to 10 and a half years.

The former prisoner said inmates would be focused on their own problems and unlikely to be impressed by Brand’s fame. Brand has reportedly been moved from a unit used to protect high-risk prisoners to the main wing; he may later be transferred to a prison that houses sex offenders, though his permanent destination is not known. He denies all non-consensual sexual activity, and six more women have reportedly made allegations of sexual misconduct.