Nigel Farage appeared on Russell Brand podcast after police investigation into sex assault claims began

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was a guest on Russell Brand’s US podcast nine months after police began investigating the comedian over allegations of sexual assault.

Brand, 51, was jailed for 10-and-a-half years on Monday for raping a fan and sexually assaulting three television and radio workers. The conviction prompted the Reform leader to criticise Labour for “cosying up to” him a decade ago.

But Mr Farage appeared on Brand’s online show in July 2024 – months after the sexual assault allegations were made public, but before he was charged in April 2025.

The pair laughed during the podcast about taking on “the establishment” and the Reform UK leader suggested the West had provoked Russia’s Vladimir Putin into the Ukraine war because “what you don’t do with a Russian bear is deliberately poke it with a stick”.

The two men had famously clashed in 2014 when they appeared as panelists on the BBC’s Question Time.

It is understood Mr Farage’s appearance on Brand’s show had not been planned and that he was asked into the room with no notice while visiting America.

Mr Farage appeared to be aware of the allegations made against Brand at the time he appeared on the podcast. The year before, discussing claims of sexual assault made against Brand in a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary, Mr Farage told GB News: “I thought he was really rather loud, incredibly coarse, rather rude, probably very badly damaged by drugs, and as for his behaviour with women and other people - well, I don't know. It's not for me to judge.

“There's no evidence being produced. There are four people, maybe five now, that have come out of the woodwork.”

During the podcast, Mr Farage said he understood that through his YouTube channel Brand had upset “some very powerful people” including big government, big pharma and philanthropist Bill Gates, an apparent reference to Brand’s anti-vaccine views.

Sitting on a sofa with Brand alongside Dan Bongino, a Donald Trump supporter, and Charlie Kirk, the late right-wing activist who was assassinated in 2025, Mr Farage spoke of how “the old left-right divides” were being blown out of the water.

At the end of the show, Brand said: “Nigel, thank you for this impromptu opportunity to speak and I hope we get more chances to speak.”

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband appeared on Brand’s web show in the lead-up to the 2015 General Election, in a video recorded at the TV star’s flat.

He said this week he regretted having done so.

A spokesperson for Mr Farage said: “Nigel regrets his appearance on the show. His thoughts are with the victims who have suffered immensely because of what Russell Brand has done.”