Lucy Beaumont's claims come as four women accuse comedian Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault
Lucy Beaumont, star of the hit show Celebrity Gogglebox, has issued a warning about the presence of male predators in the comedy industry. Her comments were made prior to four women accusing comedian Russell Brand of rape and sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013. Despite the allegations, Brand has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Lucy Beaumont speaks out on The Comedian's Comedian Podcast
In a recent episode of The Comedian's Comedian Podcast, Lucy Beaumont claimed that predatory men in the comedy industry have "held her back" in her career. She expressed her frustration about the lack of resources to address such issues, stating, "I've had quite a few incidences where if you're in any other workforce you would go to HR [Human Resources], but there isn't one."
Beaumont also discussed the prevalence of these issues among young female comics, adding, "I thought for a while it was the same five or six people – and now it's not – I could name you 10 or 15 because of course people talk." The comedian emphasized that this problem is not confined to a few individuals, but rather a systemic issue within the industry.
Other comedians echo Beaumont's concerns
Lucy Beaumont is not the only comedian speaking out about predatory behavior in the industry. Sara Pascoe recently claimed that there are two well-known predators in British comedy. Pascoe and other comedians have attempted to establish a union to address these issues and provide a safe space for victims to come forward.
Katherine Ryan, another prominent comedian, has also accused a telly colleague of being a sexual predator. She boldly confronted the individual in front of their coworkers and called him out for his misconduct.
Allegations against Russell Brand
The recent allegations against Russell Brand have sparked a conversation about the prevalence of sexual assault in the comedy industry. The Metropolitan Police are now investigating a claim made by a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by Brand in London's Soho in 2003, three years before the first assault was reported by The Celeb Reportday Times and C4's Dispatches programme.
Using YouTube as a platform, Brand vehemently denied the allegations, stating, "What I seriously refute are these very, very serious criminal allegations."
