Moment Russell Brand and old friend David Walliams joke about pretending to be gay as a ‘smokescreen’ on Channel 4 comedy show

A 2006 clip from The Russell Brand Show shows Brand and David Walliams joking that appearing to be gay was a “smokescreen”, after they kissed on camera. The footage has resurfaced following Brand’s recent conviction for rape and sexual assault, bringing renewed attention to the pair’s past friendship and public appearances.

The exchange came during the programme’s first episode on Channel 4, with guest Matt Lucas calling them “the two gayest straight blokes”; Walliams replied that it was a “wonderful smokescreen”, and Brand agreed. The article also recalls Walliams’s support for Brand after the 2008 Radio 2 calls involving Andrew Sachs, and notes that Brand was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women.