Actor Russell Brand has arrived at court in London for the start of his rape and sexual assault trial

This article contains discussion of sexual assault that readers might find distressing.

Russell Brand has arrived at Southwark Crown Court in London today for the start of his rape and sexual assault trial, wearing sunglasses and holding hands with his wife Laura Brand as he walked past the large gathering of press.

The former actor and comedian, who started doing stand-up and hosting Big Brother's Big Mouth before moving onto Hollywood films such as Arthur and Get Him to the Greek, is facing several charges.

Brand has been charged with three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault against six women, which allegedly occurred between 1999 and 2009.

During the pre-trial hearings, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Today will centre on the jury selection process, while the trial itself is expected to last for multiple weeks.

The 12 jurors are chosen at random from the local electoral register. As the trial unfolds over the week, the press legally cannot say anything that could identify any members of the jury. As this initial article was being written, the potential jurors have been chosen and will return to the Court tomorrow at 10am for the final selection.

The women accusing Brand of the offences have lifelong anonymity under UK law.

The trial is overseen by Mr Justice Bennathan, while Riel Karmy-Jones KC serves as the prosecution, and Ian Winter KC leads the defence.

Brand arrived at 8.45am, while Sky News reported that journalists queued for hours before then. Only 22 seats in the courtroom were allocated to the press, while others would have to watch video link in a different room or online (not available to the public).

As this story unfolds over the next few weeks, Digital Spy will update with the major moments from the trial.

Over the last few years, Brand has moved to America, and turned to American politics, religion and podcasting.

If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, which works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on its website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.

Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.

Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.