A prominent British television producer who allegedly “laughed” after Russell Brand asked for a massage from a woman he has now been convicted of sexually assaulting has been removed from his role and temporarily barred from his projects.
Jack Bayles, head of comedy at I can destroy you Producer Divers Artists Limited has been asked to “step back”, according to a company spokesperson. We understand he has been temporarily dropped from shows, including James Corden and Ruth Jones’ new Apple TV series. The choirthe third season of the BBC show Such brave girls and another new BBC show, Push.
Bayles told Deadline that he was “appalled and sickened by Brand’s actions” but did not remember the incident. He said he stopped working with Brand in 2010, had no contact with him since, and that no complaints about Brand’s behavior were made to him at the time.
A spokesperson for Divers Artists said: “We have asked Jack Bayles to step aside from the company while we review the verdict and the events surrounding the trial. Our thoughts, however, are primarily with each of Brand’s victims at this time.”
Various Artists is fronted by prominent figures from British television including Succession showrunner Jesse Armstrong. He is best known for producing I can destroy you, Michaela Coel’s hit series about a young writer who seeks to rebuild her life after being raped.
Brand was yesterday found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London. He was found not guilty of two other counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault, which was reduced to indecent assault during the trial.
One of those sexual assault charges involved a woman who worked for Channel 4 at the time.
The woman, who is entitled to anonymity for life, told the court during the trial that in 2009 Brand’s two associates, Bayles and another producer, told her to give him a massage. She said they watched him give her a massage without intervening and then “laughed” when she told Brand, “Urgh, you’re so bony.” Brand then made a series of offensive comments to her, she said.
The woman said she complained to Channel 4 about Brand’s behavior at the time and was assured the matter had been escalated. There is no indication that she complained about Bayles at the time. Bayles did not testify during the trial.
In the late 2000s, Bayles worked with Brand on several projects. He then became comedy commissioning editor for Channel 4 before joining Various Artists in 2022. His credits include that of Sharon Horgan. Disaster and that of Lisa McGee Girls from Derry. He won a BAFTA for Such brave girls.
Bayles: Brand ‘manipulated the people around him’
In a statement, Bayles told Deadline: “First of all, I want to say to all the women involved in the case that they have shown incredible dignity and courage in coming forward to share their experiences.
“I am appalled and sickened by Brand’s actions and have cooperated fully and willingly with the investigation and endeavored to help as best I could. However, I do not remember the incident which took place 17 years ago in 2009. But I recognize that I clearly missed something at the time and did not see or recognize that it caused any distress. For that, I am sincerely sorry.
“At the time of the offense, I was early in my career and it was a frenetic, high-pressure and toxic work environment. Brand was chaotic, dismissive and manipulative of the people around him. It was for this reason that I made the decision to stop working with him in 2010 and I have had no contact with him since. During the time I worked with Brand, no complaints were made to me about his behavior, and I do not know if anyone someone higher up than me spoke about it.
“I would never intentionally or proactively make anyone feel uncomfortable, unsafe or unsupported at work. If I was ever present when Brand acted inappropriately and failed to spot it and intervene, then I sincerely apologize.”
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