Russell Brand, born again
The Global Story
BBC
3.8 • 663 Ratings
🗓️ 12 May 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The British comedian Russell Brand is due to stand trial in the UK this year on charges of rape and sexual assault, to which he pleads not guilty.
Over the course of his decades-long career, he has had many guises; Hollywood actor, MTV presenter, radio host, author, religious sceptic, and political agitator among them, moving between mainstream and ‘alternative’ media platforms.
His latest appearances, on podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Piers Morgan, have gone viral for his admissions about his past behaviour, and his conversion to Christianity.
With BBC media editor Katie Razzall.
Producer: Hannah Moore
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: British actor and comedian Russell Brand arrives at Southwark Crown Court, February 24, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Toby Melville.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:06.5 | I'm ready. |
| 0:07.7 | Heavenly Father, thank you for this chance for us to be together where two or more have gathered. |
| 0:11.8 | You are present, Lord. |
| 0:13.0 | This is how the comedian and YouTuber Russell Brand started his interview on Tucker Carlson's podcast just a few weeks ago. |
| 0:20.0 | Can you help me, Lord, not to look at Tucker as a person that exists for my benefit or to |
| 0:24.4 | facilitate me, but to know that he's like me, a person that's broken and that will die one |
| 0:29.1 | day and that we're here to love one another and serve one another. |
| 0:31.4 | And by the way, we love one another, they will know that we are in you and that you are |
| 0:35.6 | in our school. |
| 0:41.9 | Here at the Global Story, we don't exist for anyone's benefit except our listeners, |
| 0:45.9 | and we're not here to facilitate anyone either except today's episode, |
| 0:49.6 | which is about the many, many incarnations of Russell Brand. |
| 0:50.6 | Very clever. |
| 0:58.4 | Russell Brand has been a stand-up, a TV presenter, a self-declared addict, author, Hollywood film star, |
| 1:05.1 | a podcaster who says he seeks to challenge mainstream media narratives, and now a new face. Russell Brand is facing trial in the UK in October on multiple counts of rape and sexual assault, which he denies. |
| 1:14.0 | And in the United States, he's relaunching his career as a Christian influencer. |
| 1:19.2 | From the BBC, I'm Tristan Redmond in London. |
| 1:21.9 | And I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. |
| 1:25.2 | And today on the global story, Russell Brand's Biblical rebrand. |
| 1:33.8 | A heads up before we start, this episode contains references to drug abuse. |
| 1:39.3 | So take care while listening. |
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