An hour late, but the show goes on for defiant Russell Brand as he stands up in front of 2,000 adoring fans

Despite the maelstrom of rape and sex assault allegations against him, Russell Brand defiantly turned up to perform his stand-up comic show in front of 2,000 adoring fans last night.

The crowd at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in north-west London whooped and cheered as the comedian walked out on stage more than an hour late.

One woman held aloft a sign saying: ‘We stand by you, Russell. Stay strong, stay free. We love you xx.’

Brand, dressed in blue jeans and a blazer, soaked up the adulation.

‘Thank you, I love you. Thank you, thank you. I appreciate you, I appreciate you,’ he said, barely audible over the cheers.

Despite the maelstrom of rape and sex assault allegations against him which brand has denied, the comedian defiantly turned up to perform his stand-up comic show

‘Sorry I was late. It actually was because of a f****** traffic jam.’

He asked fans not to film him, adding: ‘I really appreciate your support. I love you. I want to do a fantastic show for you.

‘I’ve got a lot to talk to you about . There are obviously some things I absolutely cannot talk about and I appreciate that you will understand. I love you lot already. I’m going to give you everything I’ve got. Let’s go.’

It didn’t take long for Brand to make a thinly veiled reference to the controversy surrounding him. 

Pointing at a long-haired audience member, Brand quipped that the man looked like him and was a ‘body double’. ‘That might come in handy,’ he said to another rapturous round of applause.

Fans, who had paid £35 a ticket, had waited patiently for more than an hour for Brand to arrive. They scrolled the breaking news reports about Brand on their phones, unsure whether he would show up at all.

The 7pm start time came and went, with an announcement over the PA that the comic was stuck in traffic on the M40. Meanwhile, Rebel Rebel by David Bowie was among the tracks being played on the sound system.

After finally taking to the stage, Brand launched into his usual routine of smutty sexual jokes, politics, and spirituality. 

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Pointing at a long-haired audience member, Brand quipped that the man looked like him and was a ‘body double’

He quipped about becoming a father, and said: ‘Since I’ve been married, I don’t have sex any more.’

He talked about re-inventing himself from promiscuous playboy to wellness guru, adding: ‘I’ve changed my life – I’m now a vegan and don’t look at pornography.’

Brand said he was ‘trying to love a spiritual life and discern what is real and what is false’, and touched on his fascination with conspiracy theories, which have won him millions of followers on social media.

‘I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t trust authority,’ he said to further applause from the faithful crowd. Brand had earlier accused those making the allegations against him of being part of a ‘co-ordinated attack’ by the mainstream media.

Some fans last night seemed to agree. One told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I believe him totally. I can’t believe he’d do anything like he has been accused of.

75503763 12526867 image a 7 1694899070545 Brand said he was ‘trying to love a spiritual life and discern what is real and what is false’, and touched on his fascination with conspiracy theories, which have won him millions of followers on social media

Brand said he was ‘trying to love a spiritual life and discern what is real and what is false’, and touched on his fascination with conspiracy theories, which have won him millions of followers on social media

‘He’s in the right. He’ll be on the right side of history.’ Another said: ‘The authorities are out to get him. We believe him totally.’ A third added: ‘I was always still going to come tonight. I don’t think there’s anything to it.’

After just over an hour on stage, Brand finished his show abruptly at 9.05pm – five minutes after the Dispatches programme started to air. 

He said: ‘Thank you for a wonderful evening. I really appreciate you being here. I love you. I’m sorry I was so late. I hope you have enjoyed it. I hope you know I love you. Stay close. Stay awake. Stay free. Thank you.’

Fans gave the comedian a standing ovation as he left.

One said: ‘I didn’t expect it to finish so soon. It was an abrupt end. I know the Dispatches is about to start – he probably had to rush off to watch that. It’s very weird.’

Russell Brand’s comments in full:  

Hello there you awakening wonders. Now this is not the usual type of video we make on this channel where we critique, attack and undermine the news in all its corruption because in this story I am the news.

I have received two extremely disturbing letters – or a letter and an email – one from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, as well as some pretty stupid stuff, like my community festival should be stopped and I shouldn’t be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel.

But amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute. These allegations pertain to a time when I was in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I’ve written about extensively in my books I was very, very promiscuous.

During that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well.

And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question is there another agenda at play. 

Particularly when we have seen coordinated media attacks before, like Joe Rogan where he dared to take a medicine the mainstream media didn’t approve of and we saw a spate of headlines of media outlets around the world using the same language.

I am aware that you guys in the comments have been for a while saying ‘watch out Russell, they’re coming for you,’ ‘you are getting too close to the truth’, ‘Russell Brand did not kill himself’.’

I know a year ago there was a spate of articles: Russell Brand is a conspiracy theorists; Russell Brand is right wing.

I am aware of newspapers making phone calls, sending letters to people I know. For ages and ages, it’s been clear to me or at least feels to be there’s a serious and consorted agenda to control these kinds of spaces and these kind of voices.

I need my voice along with your voice. I don’t mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very, very serious, criminal allegations.

Also its worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack.

Now, I don’t want to get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations but I feel like I’m being attacked and plainly they are working very closely together.

We are obviously going to look into this matter because it is very, very serious. 

In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake but more importantly than any of that, if you can stay free. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12526867/Russell-Brand-adoring-fans.html

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