-The BBC, Channel 4 and a production firm have said they are investigating after allegations that Russell Brand sexually assaulted four women.
The comedian and actor has been accused of rape and sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, which he denies.
The allegations form part of a report published by the Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.
It also included claims about his behaviour towards women and his workplace conduct over the same period.
Brand worked as a radio presenter for the BBC between 2006 and 2008. The BBC said it was “urgently looking into the issues raised” by the allegations. Channel 4, where Brand also worked as a presenter, announced an internal investigation.
Although the alleged assaults are not said to have taken place on BBC or Channel 4 premises, the claims have raised questions for the broadcasters and the wider industry.
The Times quoted sources claiming a complaint was previously made to BBC management about an “alarming display of aggression and disrespect” from Brand.
During the period in question, Brand worked for two years as a presenter on 6 Music and Radio 2, hosted Big Brother’s Big Mouth on Channel 4’s sister station E4, and launched his Hollywood movie career.
On Sunday, the Times published a first-hand account from the woman who accused Brand of rape in Los Angeles in 2012.
