Can you really cancel Russell Brand?
The News Agents
Global
4.1 • 5.4K Ratings
🗓️ 19 September 2023
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Youtube has announced it's demonetising Russell Brand's video content on its site - in other words, pulling the ads from the content he makes. The BBC and Channel 4 have said they are withdrawing 'some' Russell Brand content.
But in an age where Brand can reach 6.5 million subscribers and sell out Wembley, does any of this stuff really hurt him?
Also today, we hear from the son of Jimmy Lai - the world's richest political prisoner -and British citizen - who has stood up for Democracy against Chinese dictators. Why hasnt the UK government done more to fight for his freedom?
Editor: Tom Hughes
Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus
Producer: Laura FitzPatrick
Planning Producer: Alex Barnett
Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell
Video Producer: Will Gibson-Smith
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Newsagents podcast is brought to you by HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity. |
| 0:09.4 | This is a global player original podcast. |
| 0:12.8 | Hello there, you're Awakening Wonders. |
| 0:14.1 | Now, this isn't the usual type of video we make on this channel where we critique, attack and undermine the news in all its corruption, because in this |
| 0:21.3 | story, I am the news. |
| 0:23.2 | That was Russell Brand on Friday night on YouTube. |
| 0:26.5 | And I think it's important to remind our listeners that for many people, the first they ever |
| 0:33.8 | heard about this investigation, about these sexual assault allegations, was his |
| 0:41.1 | pre-denial. On a platform that wasn't the Sunday Times, that wasn't Channel 4, that wasn't |
| 0:48.5 | the BBC, it was him speaking directly to his followers, his six and a half million followers. |
| 0:56.5 | He says there that I am the news. That is true in more ways than one. Today, he has been |
| 1:02.8 | demonetised by YouTube. Content and old shows of his have been taken down by the BBC, by Channel 4. |
| 1:10.1 | But on today's show, we're going to ask the question |
| 1:12.4 | about whether any of that for Brand, |
| 1:15.2 | for his reach, for the millions of people |
| 1:17.5 | who follow him on online platforms, |
| 1:20.0 | whether any of that really matters. |
| 1:22.3 | Can you really cancel Russell Brand? |
| 1:25.3 | Welcome to The Newsagents. |
| 1:29.8 | The Newsagents. The news agents. |
| 1:31.6 | It's Emily. |
| 1:32.4 | And it's Lewis. |
... |
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