BBC removes branded content from Russell, saying it “now falls below audience expectations”

The BBC said it has removed Russell Brand programming from its streaming services iPlayer and BBC Sounds, saying it “has determined that it now falls below public expectations.”

The comedian is facing allegations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse, which he has denied. An investigation by the Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches found that Brand committed sexual misconduct between 2006 and 2013.

“The BBC does not ban or remove content when it is public unless we have justification to do so,” a BBC news report quoted a representative of the British public broadcaster as saying. “There is limited content featuring Russell Brand on iPlayer and Sounds. We have reviewed that content and made an informed decision to remove some of it as we have determined that the content is now below audience expectations.”