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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage appeared as a guest on Russell Brand’s US-based online show in July 2024, nine months after police began investigating the comedian over sexual assault allegations. The appearance occurred after the claims against Brand had been made public, though before he was formally charged in April 2025.
Podcast Appearance and Commentary
During the July 2024 episode, Farage joined Brand alongside right-wing activist Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump supporter Dan Bongino. The discussion focused on shared criticisms of the political establishment, with Farage suggesting that the West had provoked the war in Ukraine by “poking” the “Russian bear.” The conversation did not address the sexual assault allegations against the host, despite Farage having previously commented on them on GB News in September 2023.
At the conclusion of the show, Brand thanked Farage for the “impromptu opportunity to speak.” Sources within Reform UK stated that the appearance was not pre-planned and that Farage was invited into the room during a visit to the United States.
When asked about the appearance, a spokesperson for Farage stated: “Nigel regrets his appearance on the show. His thoughts are with the victims who have suffered immensely because of what Russell Brand has done.”
Previous Remarks on Allegations
Farage had publicly discussed the allegations against Brand in September 2023, shortly after a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4 reported accusations from several women. At that time, Farage told GB News that while he was not a “big fan” of the comedian, he would not “prejudge his guilt or his innocence.” He noted that Brand’s own autobiography contained accounts of behavior toward women that were “disturbing, abusive and not very pretty.”
Following Brand’s conviction this week, where he was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault, Farage criticized the Labour Party for “cosying up to” and “promoting” the comedian a decade ago. In recent comments on Australia’s News 24, Farage stated that while the cases were difficult to judge from a distance due to a lack of “hard evidence,” he believed the account of Jemima Goldsmith, a former partner of Brand who accused him of violence. He added, “The judicial system has proved to have actually worked.”
History of Controversial Associations
The Reform leader has faced scrutiny for other associations, including a 2019 photograph with influencer Andrew Tate, who was charged with rape and human trafficking in 2023. While acknowledging that Tate had said “pretty horrible” things, Farage defended his outreach to the younger generation, stating that if other politicians would not engage with that demographic, he would.
Farage’s history with Brand dates back to a 2014 appearance on the BBC’s Question Time, where the two clashed. An ally of the Reform leader noted that Farage had previously dismissed the comedian as someone who did not “utter a word of sense.”
