Russell Brand makes first comments since sexual assault allegations

Russell Brand says it has been an "extraordinary and distressing" week after rape and sexual assault allegations were made against him.

In a video published on social media, he thanked followers for their support and for "questioning the information that you've been presented with".

They are his first public comments since allegations were published by the Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches last weekend.

Brand has denied the claims.

In a joint investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's Dispatches, four women accused Brand of sexual assaults and rape between 2006 and 2013.

Brand denied the claims before the allegations were published, saying his relationships were "always consensual".

The actor and comedian did not address the allegations directly in Friday's three-minute video, but made claims about what he described as "media corruption and censorship" and "deep state and corporate collusion".

He said he would release a fuller video on video streaming site Rumble on Monday, saying the platform had made "a clear commitment to free speech".

Earlier this week, responding to a UK Parliament committee that asked if it would cut Brand's income in the wake of the allegations, Rumble said it would not "join a cancel culture mob".