UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy has warned that women reporting abuse in the media industry remain inadequately protected, as Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault.
Nandy made her warning on 8 November 2026, a day before Brand's sentencing, during separate appearances on BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg and Sky News' Sunday Morning. She criticised institutions' handling of complaints and raised the possibility of compulsory industry safeguards if organisations failed to act voluntarily.
Brand, 51, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on 9 November. A jury convicted him on 5 November of one rape and three sexual assaults involving four women, committed between 2004 and 2009, following a four-week trial. He was acquitted of two further rape charges and one attempted indecent assault charge. He had denied the charges.
Women Face Heavy Costs for Speaking Out
On the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Nandy said she could not guarantee that similar abuse was no longer taking place in the industry. 'Hand on heart, I can't say to you as the culture secretary that this is not happening today. In fact, if I had to wager, I would say it is,' she said.
She pointed to substantial power imbalances in media and politics, where short-term contracts, professional contacts, and reputation can affect career progression. Women who report alleged abuse are too often left without adequate institutional protection, she argued.
Nandy also disclosed that people working in the industry had contacted her since she entered government with allegations about their experiences. She did not suggest that every complaint had been independently established.
Industry Body and Possible Government Action
Nandy praised the BBC for signing up to the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), while stressing that the broadcaster had further work to do. CIISA is an independent initiative intended to improve standards and support people reporting misconduct across the creative industries; participation does not itself establish that complaints have been resolved.
'There are other institutions that haven't done that, and time is up,' she said on the BBC programme, criticising organisations that had not taken comparable steps.
In her separate appearance on Sky News' Sunday Morning on 8 November, Nandy urged organisations to join CIISA. She also warned that ministers were considering how to mandate such action if voluntary participation proved insufficient. No new law or compulsory membership scheme had been announced.
BBC and Channel 4 Reviews
The BBC published an internal review on 30 January 2025, led by Peter Johnston, its director of editorial complaints and reviews. It examined eight complaints relating to Brand's conduct during his work on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music between 2006 and 2008. Only one complaint had been formally raised with the broadcaster at the time.
The review recorded concerns about behaviour in studios and found that some staff felt unable to raise complaints. It also concluded that the single formal complaint had not been handled effectively. The BBC apologised to staff who felt unable to speak up and to those directly affected by the matters documented.
Channel 4 conducted a separate internal review, published in March 2024, into its handling of allegations involving Brand. It apologised to a former employee over its handling of a serious complaint made in 2009. Both reviews did not determine criminal guilt.
Further Reports Under Police Assessment
Following Brand's conviction, Metropolitan Police detectives confirmed that two additional rape allegations were under investigation. On 10 November, police disclosed that several other people had contacted investigators during and after the trial with information or potential criminal allegations.
Those newer reports were being assessed as part of ongoing enquiries. They are separate from the four offences for which Brand was convicted and do not constitute findings of wrongdoing. The four women involved in the convictions retain lifelong anonymity.
Nandy's warning focused on the protection of people who come forward, rather than an immediate legislative announcement. Her comments left open the prospect of mandatory participation in independent industry safeguards if employers do not act.
