The BBC eliminated a few of Brand’s materials from its streaming archive, becoming a member of a rising checklist of organizations distancing themselves from the performer, who denies sexual assault and has not been charged with any felony offenses.

YouTube mentioned monetization of Brand’s account, which has 6.6 million subscribers, has been suspended “following serious allegations against the creator.”

“This decision applies to all channels that may be owned or operated by Russell Brand,” the Google-owned video service mentioned.

The suspension means Brand gained’t have the ability to earn cash from the adverts that run inside and alongside YouTube movies, which have titles together with “What REALLY Started the Hawaii Fires?” and “Covid Tsar Admits Lockdowns Were NEVER About Science.”

Other channels related to Brand’s foremost YouTube web page embody Awakening With Russell, which has 426,000 subscribers, Football Is Nice, which has some 20,000 subscribers, and Stay Free With Russell Brand, which has 22,200 subscribers.

Brand nonetheless has a presence on Rumble, a video website common with some conservatives and far-right teams, the place his channel has 1.4 million followers. He additionally has 11.2 million followers on X, previously often known as Twitter, and three.8 million on Instagram.

Brand, 48, denies allegations of sexual assault made by 4 ladies in a Channel 4 tv documentary and The Times and Sunday Times newspapers. The accusers, who haven’t been named, embody one who mentioned she was sexually assaulted throughout a relationship with him when she was 16. Another girl says Brand raped her in Los Angeles in 2012.

The 4 allegations date from between 2006 and 2013. London’s Metropolitan Police drive mentioned that since these claims had been made public, it has acquired a report of a separate sexual assault courting from 2003.

Known for his unbridled and risqué standup routines, Brand was a significant U.K. star within the early 2000s. He hosted exhibits on radio and tv, wrote memoirs charting his battles with medication and alcohol, appeared in a number of Hollywood motion pictures and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012.

In current years Brand has largely disappeared from mainstream media however has constructed up a big following on-line with movies mixing wellness and conspiracy theories. His YouTube channel has featured COVID-19 conspiracy theories, vaccine misinformation and interviews with controversial broadcasters, together with Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan.

He additionally has continued to tour as a comic, performing to lots of of individuals in a London venue on Saturday. He had been because of carry out on Tuesday in Windsor, west of London, however promoters mentioned the remainder of the tour was being postponed following the allegations.

The BBC mentioned it had taken some content material that includes Brand from its iPlayer and Sounds apps, “having assessed that it now falls below public expectations.”

Brand additionally has been dropped by his expertise company and a writer for the reason that allegations grew to become public.

Ellie Tomsett, senior lecturer in media and communications at Birmingham City University, mentioned it was too quickly to inform whether or not the claims would finish Brand’s comedy profession.

“I think there’s definitely a market for ‘outsider’ comedians … or people who want to position themselves as some way or alternative to current understandings of gender equality,” she mentioned. “And so I think in the longer term, will it impact his career in the way that we may be expect it to? Possibly not.”