# Moment Peter Hitchens launches stunning takedown of Russell Brand during live Newsnight appearance after comedian said he was going to kiss him on the lips

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/moment-peter-hitchens-launches-stunning-takedown-of-russell-brand-during-live-newsnight-appearance-after-comedian-said-he-was-going-to-kiss-him-on-the-lips/
- Published: 2026-11-07T21:53:06+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T22:03:29+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16274753/Peter-Hitchens-Russell-Brand-Newsnight.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Health, Medicine, World

## Key points

- A 2012 Newsnight argument between Brand and Hitchens has resurfaced.
- Hitchens challenged Brand’s ability to debate seriously.
- Brand was convicted of rape and three sexual assaults.

## Summary

A clip from Russell Brand and Peter Hitchens’s 2012 appearance on BBC Newsnight has resurfaced after Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assault. During a discussion about drugs, Brand accused Hitchens of prejudice and homophobia, then said he would kiss him; Hitchens replied that Brand was incapable of serious debate and questioned why he was given a platform on the publicly funded BBC.

The article says a jury at Southwark Crown Court found Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, while acquitting him of two further rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault. The revived clip has drawn approving comments from some social media users, and Hitchens later described trying to argue seriously with Brand as “like playing chess with a squirrel”.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.