A 2006 clip of Russell Brand and David Walliams joking about using perceived gayness as a “smokescreen” has resurfaced online, drawing fresh attention now that both men are facing separate sexual misconduct allegations.
The footage comes from an appearance on “The Russell Brand Show,” during which Brand was handed a black top hat. Fellow comedian Matt Lucas, also a guest that day, quipped, “Girl, you look gorge. You’re like the two gayest straight blokes there are, aren’t you?”
Walliams, now 55, replied, “Isn’t it a wonderful smokescreen?” Brand, now 51, answered, “Isn’t it, though? Isn’t it glorious? It works wonderfully well.”
A “smokescreen,” in common usage, refers to something said or done to cover up a scandal, obscure a hidden motive, or distract from a larger problem.
The clip is circulating again just after Brand was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in prison on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The Metropolitan Police opened an investigation into Brand in 2023 after receiving multiple allegations, following reporting by Channel 4’s “Dispatches” program and the Sunday Times. He was formally charged in 2025 with rape and sexual assault covering incidents between 1999 and 2005, and he pleaded not guilty.
According to Kally Sahota, senior solicitor and director of Sahota & Sahota Solicitors, Brand is currently serving the initial weeks of his sentence at HMP Wandsworth in London before being transferred to another facility based on what Sahota described as “security, safety and rehabilitation needs.”
Walliams named in separate allegations
Walliams was separately identified as a celebrity who had sought to prevent publications from naming him in connection with accusations of sexual misconduct, after lawyers told a UK judge their client had attempted suicide twice and was threatening a third attempt if his identity were revealed.
Multiple women have accused the children’s author of using his celebrity status to groom them for sex, with two alleging they were 15 years old when they met him. After Walliams did not pursue an appeal, the Guardian published his identity along with a list of the allegations against him.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Walliams denied being a “sexual predator,” writing: “Looking back, I realize that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with. That is something I regret.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
