Russell Brand drags Dan Wootton, Huw Edwards and Phillip Schofield back under the spotlight

Russell Brand's scandal puts other presenters back under the spotlight: 'Where is Huw Edwards?'
© Karwai Tang & Simon James / GETTY IMAGES
Russell Brand's scandal puts other presenters back under the spotlight: 'Where is Huw Edwards?'
More under this ad

Over the weekend of 16 September, the entertainment industry was shaken by yet another scandal of sexual misconduct. This time about Russell Brand.

TW: mentions of rape, sexual abuse, bullying, harassment

Discover our latest podcast

On Saturday 16 SeptemberChannel 4 broadcasted a documentary called Russell Brand: In Plain Sight: Dispatches. In the documentary, the channel, who employed Brand in the 2000s, put forward women who spoke out against Brand’s sexual misconduct.

The documentary is the result of a year-long investigation (GB News says the investigation lasted 4 years) conducted by Channel 4, The Times and Sunday Times.Russell Brand, at this time, denies any accusation of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.

More under this ad
More under this ad

This new scandal in the entertainment industry has brought back to the surface other scandals that occurred this year. For instance, alongside Brand, we have seen Huw Edwards and Phillip Schofield trend on X.

The scandals of Schofield,Edwards, Wootton and Brand

2023 had been rich in celebrity breakups but also, and even more unfortunate, in scandals regarding men abusing their power.

More under this ad
More under this ad

The first one is of course Phillip Schofield, who in May 2023, resigned from both This Morning and ITV as an affair with a younger member of staff was brought to light. While both parties have confirmed that the affair did happen, no criminal charges have been held against the presenter.

Then, in July 2023, BBC star presenter Huw Edwards was caught in a scandal accusing him of paying an undergage person over £30,000 for explicit pictures. In the end, Edwards was removed from the BBC, placed in a mental hospital and freed of any criminal charges by MET police.

More under this ad
More under this ad

In the same month, GB News presenter Dan Wootton started being at the centre of a series of articles by independent publication Byline Times. Wootton is accused of bullying, catfishing, harassing and filming coworkers having sex without their consent.

Just like Russell Brand, the Dan Wootton scandal is the result of a long investigation. Byline worked for three years on their series of articles and Channel 4, The Times and Sunday Times investigated for one year (or 4, according to GB News).

More under this ad
More under this ad

All scandals have one thing in common: they happened while these men were at the top of their career, in powerful positions within the entertainment industry.

Read more:

Dan Wootton could be faking his whole 'hard-right' personality on GB News, close source reveals

Dan Wootton scandal: What is The Byline Times? The publication who aims to shake the British media

Viewers and social media users are linking the four scandals

Since being broadcasted, the documentary has brought forth many reactions. The Guardian reports that Caroline Dinenage, who chairs the House of Commons media committee stated:

More under this ad
More under this ad
These allegations, and looking at the questions that this, yet again, raises about the culture in the industry as a whole.

Dinenage is right, Brand’s scandal cannot be isolated from the others that have shaken the main broadcasting houses over the last few months. ITV, BBC, Channel 4; none have been spared by the consequences of the actions of their presenters. All channels are conducting internal investigations about these various scandals.

More under this ad
More under this ad

On social media, especially on X, users have been quick to link the four.

More under this ad
More under this ad
More under this ad
More under this ad

Social media has also brought up some interesting questions about how the mainstream media has been dealing with these scandals.

More under this ad
More under this ad

Read more:

Phillip Schofield: The disgraced presenter is reported to have mended this crucial relationship

Huw Edwards: BBC Viewers demand to hear from presenter after explicit photo scandal

Dan Wootton scandal: Journalists exposing the GB News host are getting 'threatening phone calls"

Sources:

X

The Guardian: Monday briefing: How the Russell Brand story unfolded
Mirror: How to watch Russell Brand Channel 4 Dispatches documentary after allegations

More under this ad