Russell Brand has begun a ten-and-a-half-year prison sentence at HMP Wandsworth after being convicted of rape and three sexual assaults, with sources describing him as spending much of his time alone in his cell reading the Bible and prayer books.
The 51-year-old comedian was taken to the south London prison after his sentencing at Southwark Crown Court. He had been held at Wandsworth since Thursday, following his conviction, while awaiting the hearing.
Brand was reportedly placed first in the induction wing before being moved to the Care and Separation Unit, known as “The Block” or “The Seg”. The unit is used to house high-risk prisoners and restricts movement, education and social contact.
Prison governors can initially order segregation for up to 72 hours before a review determines whether it should continue. It was not clear how long Brand would remain there.
A source said Brand had obtained a Bible and prayer books from the prison library and had been “reading, meditating and praying for hours on end”. He was also seen clutching the Bible when he left his cell to visit the exercise yard.
Another source claimed Brand had appeared “very humble” in his limited dealings with other inmates. There had been teasing and chanting, they said, but some prisoners had also shown sympathy towards him.
His arrival was met by heckling from members of the public outside the Victorian prison, while inmates were also said to have shouted abuse from cell windows. One witness described Brand as looking “miserable” and “a little scared”.
Sources said he had been allocated a cell on C-wing, which houses about 100 prisoners, many of whom are classed as vulnerable prisoners. He was reportedly kept in his own cell because of his profile, rather than being placed on the main vulnerable prisoners’ wing where sex offenders are usually held.
A prison source said Brand was protected on the wing, adding that conditions elsewhere in the jail were “very dangerous”. Fellow prisoners were said to be interested in catching sight of the celebrity inmate, while some had discussed bullying him or attempting to obtain money from him.
Brand was medically examined and strip-searched before being locked in a cell measuring about 9.8ft by 6.7ft. He was expected to receive an evening meal and a first-night pack containing toiletries, cereal, tea, milk, sugar, sweets, juice and biscuits.
The following morning, his breakfast was expected to include cereal or porridge, fruit and tea. His cell also provided access to exercise equipment, while the wing had a football pitch and basketball court.
A former Wandsworth prisoner, who said he had spent six months there in 2024, described rats, poor heating and mould on the walls. He claimed the mould was often simply painted over.
Brand’s arrival also coincided with another inmate staging a dirty protest, although a source said the incident was unrelated and involved a prisoner known for carrying out similar protests.
At the start of his sentencing hearing, Brand had winked at his wife, Laura. As he was led away after the hearing, he reportedly mouthed “I love you” and tried to reassure her that everything would be “alright”.
During a podcast previously hosted with his wife, Brand had spoken about being frightened of going to prison. He now faces his first winter at Wandsworth while serving the lengthy sentence.
