Russell Brand takes the stand in rape trial, says no one agreed to testify in his defence

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Asked by his barrister, Ian Winter KC, whether he had been able to persuade anyone with relevant evidence to testify for him, Brand replied: “I have not.”Winter then asked whether people would “touch you with a barge pole”, to which Brand answered: “No.”Brand accused of rape had been “devastating”.

He also said his “entire life has been consumed by these allegations” and that he had devoted himself to addressing them. The charges relate to alleged incidents involving six women between 1999 and 2009, when Brand was a prominent figure in British entertainment.

The allegations include rape in a hotel room in 1999, sexual misconduct involving women who worked at MTV and a radio station, and alleged assaults in a bar and at Brand’s home. Brand has denied engaging in non-consensual sexual activity.

During police interviews, he acknowledged having had a highly promiscuous past but insisted that his sexual encounters had been consensual. The trial began earlier this month, with the prosecution presenting evidence from the six complainants.

Their accounts described alleged incidents in workplaces, a hotel room, a bar bathroom and Brand’s home. The women have lifelong anonymity under UK law. On Tuesday, the judge amended one of the charges against Brand, ruling there was insufficient evidence to proceed with an indecent assault charge relating to an alleged incident involving an MTV worker in 2001.

The charge was replaced with attempted indecent assault, to which Brand also pleaded not guilty. Brand’s testimony marks the start of the defence case following the prosecution’s presentation. The trial is continuing, with proceedings expected to last several more weeks.