Lorraine Kelly: Brand's Hollywood rise masked his 'dreadful' films

Lorraine Kelly has issued a damning assessment of Russell Brand’s inner circle, describing the enablers who allowed his conduct to persist as "shameful" following his recent conviction. Speaking on her ITV programme on Friday, the presenter discussed the comedian’s "fall from grace" with Lucy Cave, noting that his behaviour had been treated as an accepted part of his persona for years ^[1].

According to the Mirror ^[1], Kelly stated that when complaints were raised by female comedians and others, they were dismissed with the excuse that "that's just Russell". She emphasised that nobody intervened to say "stop it", despite the worsening pattern of behaviour as he transitioned from stand-up to global Hollywood stardom.

The discussion followed Brand's conviction for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. Jurors unanimously found him guilty of offences committed between 2004 and 2009, as reported by the Daily Express ^[1]. He was remanded at Southwark Crown Court, where Mr Justice Bennathan warned him of a "significant custodial sentence".

During the broadcast, Kelly recalled meeting Brand when he was a presenter on Big Brother's Big Mouth, before he starred in films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Arthur, which she described as "dreadful" ^[1]. Lucy Cave added that Brand became famous for "being Russell Brand", a trait often used to defend his actions rather than correct them.

Kelly noted that the worse he behaved, the more famous he became, citing his open attitude towards promiscuity as a factor in his public image ^[1]. This dynamic meant that accusations were often viewed through a lens of comedic licence rather than serious misconduct.

In a separate development, Kelly addressed a scheduling disruption earlier this week. The Daily Star reported ^[2] that her show was pulled off air on November 4 due to a power outage in Covent Garden. Kelly reassured viewers via Instagram that the issue was a "hoo-ha" and that the studio was back online by Thursday, November 5.

Despite the technical glitches, Kelly maintained her usual frankness when discussing Brand. Her comments highlight a growing sentiment in the industry that the culture of celebrity protection allowed Brand’s alleged misconduct to go unchallenged for decades. As he awaits sentencing, the focus remains not just on his legal outcome, but on the systemic failure of those around him to hold him accountable.