Russell Brand: YouTube suspends monetisation of comedian's channel following sexual assault allegations

The monetisation of Russell Brand's YouTube channel has been suspended following sexual assault allegations made against him, the company has confirmed.

The comedian, 48, has been accused of rape, assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013 while he was working on projects for the BBC, Channel 4 and starring in Hollywood films.

In recent years, he has stepped back from the mainstream and focused on his YouTube channel, which currently has more than 6.6 million subscribers.

However, the Google-owned company has now confirmed that it has suspended the monetisation of his channel's content in light of the allegations raised in the joint Channel 4 Dispatches and The Times investigation. The move means that Brand will not be able to earn money from videos he uploads to the platform while the suspension is in place.

In a statement, YouTube said: “We have suspended monetisation on Russell Brand’s channel for violating our Creator Responsibility policy. If a creator’s off-platform behaviour harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community.”

It confirmed that the decision was taken in relation to the "serious allegations against the creator", adding: "This action means the channel is no longer able to monetise on YouTube". The monetisation suspension will affect all channels owned or operated by Brand.

It comes after the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it has received a report of alleged sexual assault involving Brand. His current tour has also been suspended.