Russell Brand allegations ‘were not properly escalated or addressed’ whilst he was working on Channel 4 programmes, probe finds after star ‘asked staff to get phone numbers of women in the audience and female crew were made to feel uncomfortable’

Research has shown that the allegations are about Russell Brand‘s behavior while working on programs commissioned by Channel 4 were ‘not appropriately escalated or adequately addressed’.

The 49-year-old was charged with rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse last year as part of a joint investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches programme, The Times and Sunday Times.

Brand has strongly denied allegations about his conduct, which allegedly occurred at the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013.

Following the allegations, an investigation was launched by Banijay UK, which bought Endemol, the company that produced a number of shows on behalf of Channel 4 that Brand worked on between 2004, 2006 and 2008.

In the journalistic investigation published last September, an investigator claimed that concerns about Brand’s behavior were reported to production managers at Endemol but were dismissed.

Findings from the investigation, now published, claim that while ‘no formal complaints about Brand were made during the programmes’ there were concerns that had ‘not been appropriately escalated or adequately addressed’.

Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse last year as part of a joint investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches programme, The Times and Sunday Times

Brand (pictured in 2006) has strongly denied allegations about his conduct, which allegedly occurred at the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013.

One of the first women to accuse Brand – named Alice to protect her identity – claimed she was in an “emotionally abusive and controlling relationship” with the comedian.

Karen Baxter, the head of investigations at law firm Lewis Silkin LLP, who was appointed to the case, wrote in the findings: ‘However, there were concerns about Brand’s conduct that were raised informally with senior staff, particularly in relation to him. runners are asking for phone numbers of spectators and female crew members who felt uncomfortable or intimidated by his behavior while working in Bristol in 2004/2005.

“These concerns have not been appropriately escalated or adequately addressed.”

The findings also show that Brand was employed at a time when Channel 4 and Endemol knew he was a ‘recovering drug addict with a reputation for being ‘edgy’.

But “no special security measures were taken to protect Brand, those who worked with him or those who otherwise came into contact with him,” including the public.

His behavior included having sexual relationships with audience members and some colleagues at the shows and sometimes being naked in front of Endemol staff, with evidence suggesting it was “tolerated as ‘Russell Being Russell,'” the report said.

However, it says they found no evidence that complaints were made about these issues and that the relationships were considered consensual.

Brand (pictured here in 2015) was working at a time when Channel 4 and Endemol knew he was a ‘recovering drug addict with a reputation for being ‘edgy’, according to the investigation findings.

Russell Brand is pictured on The Paul O’Grady Show in November 2017

The investigation also found that Endemol staff felt ‘largely unable to raise concerns about Brand due to: his role as a talent, the perception that Brand’s behavior was tolerated by seniors, the fear of not listening to him are listened to, and/or concern for their job security’.

Patrick Holland, the CEO of Banijay UK, has apologized to “anyone who was affected” and felt “they were unable to speak up or that their voice was not properly heard”.

In a statement, Mr Holland said: ‘Dispatches has made deeply disturbing allegations about Russell Brand’s conduct during his time at the legacy company Endemol.

‘I am grateful to Lewis Silkin for this thorough report and the lessons we can learn from it.

‘Although Endemol had support and escalation procedures in place during the period in question, these were clearly not understood and adhered to to the extent we would expect today and were not as robust as our current UK and group-wide processes.

‘The sector’s protocols, duty of care and behavioral expectations have improved enormously in recent years and continue to be regularly reviewed and progressively updated.

“We are deeply sorry to anyone who was affected by this behavior and felt unable to speak or that their voice was not properly heard.”

Russell Brand is pictured at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August 2006

Brand performing during The Hoping Foundation’s Starry Starry Night Benefit Evening in 2014

Earlier this year, Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon apologized to a former staff member for failing to investigate a “serious” allegation made against Brand in 2009 following the broadcaster’s own investigation.

However, the broadcaster found ‘no evidence’ that Channel 4 staff were aware of the allegations made by four women in a Dispatches documentary before it was broadcast in September.

Brand, who also worked on the BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6 Music programs from 2006 to 2008, told former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson in a YouTube video earlier this year that the allegations against him were ‘very, very hurtful’ goods.

One of the first women to accuse Brand — named Alice to protect her identity — alleged she was in an “emotionally abusive and controlling relationship” with the comedian, then 31, for about three months as a teenager.

Alice, who has branded the star’s alleged behavior as ‘grooming’, claimed he would refer to her as ‘The Child’ throughout their relationship and that he gradually became ‘controlling and then emotionally and sexually abusive’.

She claims, “Russell was into groomer behavior, but I didn’t know what that was at the time. He tried to drive a wedge between me and my parents and taught me to lie to them.

‘I was at my father’s house and it was eleven o’clock at night. He texted me, I came up with a scenario where I said my friend was sick, and we would roleplay texting conversations. He had a whole script for me.”

Russell Brand has been contacted for comment.