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Russell Brand: On Trial

by Sky News · English · News

Russell Brand: On Trial is the latest podcast series from Sky News - bringing you in-depth stories from across the UK. Martin Brunt and Katie Spencer are award-winning journalists who have reported on some of the most high profile criminal cases here and abroad. Our episodes from the trial of Russel

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New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 19 min
Latest: 12 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026 · 13 minNew

Russell Brand, the defendant arrives at court | Episode 1

What happened on Russell Brand’s first day in court as the trial process got underway? Sky News’ Martin Brunt and Katie Spencer take us through the day- inside and outside the court. It starts with queues of journalists arriving early to get a seat on the press benches of court 3 at Southwark Crown Court. Outside photographers gather to get images of Russell Brand as he walks in with his wife. No cameras or recording are allowed inside so Katie Spencer - arts and entertainment correspondent for Sky and crime commentator Martin Brunt - are your eyes and ears in court. The first development:…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S7 · 9 Oct 2026 · 1 min
Introducing 'Russell Brand: On Trial'
As Russell Brand goes on trial, Sky News brings together two award winning journalists to cover the case. Together this pair has more than 30 years experience reporting on the most high profile criminal cases. Sky News’ crime commentator Martin Brunt and entertainment correspondent Katie Spencer will be at Southwark Crown Court to hear the prosecution case, witness testimonies and Brand’s defence. He faces three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and denies the allegations against him. Our eyes and…
S6 · E7 · 28 Feb 2025 · 39 min
Unreliable Witness 7: The Other Trial
EPISODE 7: A new court case finally exposes abuse in Barrow. Jason and Liz have known about these allegations for years but they can only reveal the facts now. The case involves three brothers and it's taken their victims more than a decade to get justice. Now we can tell the story of their crimes and follow a thread leading back to Ellie Williams. She's out of jail and not allowed to talk to the media. But Jason and Liz find her old diaries raise fresh questions. Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence and sexual abuse, explicit language, and a reference to suicide From Sky…
S6 · E6 · 24 Mar 2024 · 39 min
Unreliable Witness 6: Eleanor Williams – Inside
Police material is released, taking us to the moments they discover her battered at her flat and the night before her infamous post. They also reveal her reaction when accused of lying. Meanwhile Liz and Jason are given a psychiatric report charting medical records and interviews which reveal more on Ellie’s background and state of mind. And, finally, Liz hears from the young woman at the centre of it all - directly from prison. Warning: This series discusses issues of sexual abuse, self-harm, violence and suicide From Sky News Storycast, Unreliable Witness is presented by Jason Farrell and…
S6 · E5 · 24 Mar 2024 · 32 min
Unreliable Witness 5: I’m Coming for You
It’s revealed Mohammed Ramzan has been facing allegations other than from Ellie Williams. Liz and Jason meet ‘Sarah’ - who says she was groomed as a child in Hull and accuses Mo of being involved in the gang responsible. He claims something more sinister is at play. But his anger at the situation sees him back in court – in the dock. Warning: This series discusses issues of sexual abuse, self-harm, violence and suicide From Sky News Storycast, Unreliable Witness is presented by Jason Farrell and Liz Lane Series Producer: Anne-Marie Bullock Executive Producer: Louise Cotton Sound Design: Matt…
S6 · E4 · 24 Mar 2024 · 34 min
Unreliable Witness 4: The Witness Who Went Home
Ellie has been sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison but questions have been raised about what evidence was presented and left out in court. One potential witness who wasn’t called on says she could have supported parts of Ellie’s story. Liz and Jason ask why Williams wasn’t prosecuted in relation to the other men she had accused. Warning: This series discusses issues of sexual abuse, self-harm, violence and suicide From Sky News Storycast, Unreliable Witness is presented by Jason Farrell and Liz Lane Series Producer: Anne-Marie Bullock Executive Producer: Louise Cotton Sound Design:…
S6 · E3 · 24 Mar 2024 · 35 min
Unreliable Witness 3: I’m not a Psychopath
After Covid delays, the trial is finally held and Ellie Williams is in the dock. Liz and Jason were among the reporters at court when the extent of her claims were revealed for the first time, shocking the media and public alike. She’s accused of perverting the course of justice against 5 men, including 4 who are white – of lying to police and falsifying evidence to back up her claims, including causing the horrific injuries to herself. Liz and Jason share some of the shocking twists and revelations of the 11-week trial and what Ellie has to say in her defence. Warning: This series discusses…
S6 · E2 · 24 Mar 2024 · 33 min
Unreliable Witness 2: Recipe for a Witch Hunt
The fuse has been lit...and with limited information from police or in the news, social media speculation starts fingers pointing. Barrow is about to hit boiling point. Asian businesses are attacked. Individuals are targeted. Meanwhile local businessman Mohammed Ramzan is arrested – suspected of being a central figure in the grooming gang. But a senior detective coming onto the case starts to find holes in the account police have been told. Warning: This series discusses issues of sexual abuse, self-harm, violence and suicide From Sky News Storycast, Unreliable Witness is presented by Jason…
S6 · E1 · 24 Mar 2024 · 31 min
Unreliable Witness 1: Who is Ellie Williams?
Ellie’s family and boss share their worries about her leading up to the infamous Facebook post. Unexplained injuries. Becoming withdrawn. Incessant messages. Harassment on the street. Then she started to go missing regularly. When she suddenly moves out of the family home, her family feel they’re losing contact. Eventually she turns up so badly injured she says she can’t take it any more and goes public with claims on social media that go viral and shock the nation. Warning: This series discusses issues of sexual abuse, self-harm, violence and suicide. If you feel affected by the issues, you…
S5 · E4 · 28 Jan 2024 · 19 min
Patient 11: Episode 4 – Breaking free
A long serving doctor and his partner agree to help Alexis break out of psychiatric care and flee the country, a decision that has the potential to change all their lives. This series discusses rape and sexual assault. Credits - From Sky News StoryCast, Patient 11 is written and produced by Robert Mulhern. Reporting by Rebecca Thomas and Robert Mulhern. Editing by Paul Stanworth. Data and Forensics by Saywah Mahmood. Social Media by David Chipakupaku. Story commissioner, Dave Terris. Graphics by Kelly Casanova. Press and marketing by Anna Phelan. If you were impacted by this story please…
S5 · E3 · 28 Jan 2024 · 20 min
Patient 11: Episode 3 – Escape Plan
Enduring long periods in solitary and having descended to the darkest reaches of psychiatric care, Alexis plots an escape, one, that if successful, will take her thousands of miles from England. This series discusses rape and sexual assault.
S5 · E2 · 28 Jan 2024 · 19 min
Patient 11: Episode 2 – In harm’s way
Undiagnosed, legally detained and separated from her daughter for more than a year, Alexis is moved to an all-male psychiatric ward on Christmas Eve, 2013. What happens next will, ultimately, bring her to the attention of the most powerful institutions in the state. This series discusses rape and sexual assault.
S5 · E1 · 28 Jan 2024 · 19 min
Patient 11: Episode 1 – Locked-up and drugged
Following the death of her brother, young mother Alexis Quinn seeks temporary respite in NHS psychiatric care, never imagining that three days, would turn into more than three years, or that her bid to break free would bring her to the attention of UK and European law enforcement agencies. This series discusses rape and sexual assault.
S5 · 22 Jan 2024 · 1 min
Introducing: Patient 11
Young mother and former GB youth swimmer, Alexis Quinn, agrees to enter NHS England psychiatric care following a family tragedy. She could never imagine that her three-day admission will turn into a three-year ordeal. Then undiagnosed with autism, and often the subject of 24-hour surveillance as well as long periods in solitary confinement, Alexis descends to the darkest reaches of locked-in, psychiatric care. There, she encounters the kind of threat she never could have imagined in a secure mental health hospital. In a bid to break free, Alexis plots a daring escape. Making it back to her…
S4 · 30 Dec 2021 · 19 min
StoryCast '21: EP 21/21 The Y2K Prison Bug
The biggest, and very first story of the year 2000, involved a bug that was expected to impact tens of millions of lives all over the world. But unlike the Covid-19 pandemic of today, The Millennium Bug, or Y2K for short, was a computer programming problem, with predicted Armageddon-like consequences. In the months leading up to the year 2000, people feared the world was on the brink of disaster; that planes would fall from the sky, cardiac pacemakers would stop, and nuclear reactors would shut down. The problem was devastatingly simple - computers were never programmed to read dates beyond…
S4 · 20 Dec 2021 · 17 min
StoryCast '21: EP 20/21 The Queen's stuntman
On 27 July 2012, Gary Connery pulled up his tights, adjusted his wig, and put on a dress fit for a queen. The London Olympics opening ceremony was about to get underway and the professional stuntman was all set for the biggest job of his career. With the Queen scheduled to open the Games it was decided she would make a very special, very British, entrance. The idea was that James Bond would chaperone Her Majesty to the ceremony in a helicopter, before they both parachuted into the celebrations. But selling the illusion to a billion TV viewers around the world depended on the movie making…
S4 · 13 Dec 2021 · 20 min
StoryCast '21: EP 19/21 Michael Jackson - The Trial of the century
A veteran of movie cameos and music videos, Eddie Moss was one of the most successful Michael Jackson impersonators in the world in 2005, but then he took a job like no other. At the time, Michael Jackson was one of the world’s most iconic celebrities. But news headlines about his personal life and not his music had come to tarnish his reputation. Now, Jackson was due to go on trial in California on multiple charges of child abuse against a minor. The eyes of the world were watching. However, when the judge presiding over the case prevented cameras in the courthouse, it posed a major…
S4 · 6 Dec 2021 · 20 min
StoryCast '21: EP 18/21 The Shooting
On 22 July 2005, when Patricia da Silva learned that police marksman had killed a man at Stockwell Underground Station in London, she’d no reason to second-guess news reports describing the deceased as a terrorist. The capital then was on high alert. Just two weeks earlier, a series of bomb attacks killed 52 people, injured hundreds and London was left reeling. Then, on 21 July 2005, four men targeted the capital’s transport network in a carbon-copy style attack. This time, the terrorists' bombs failed to explode and they fled. So less than 24-hours after that failed attack, when Patricia…
S4 · 29 Nov 2021 · 24 min
StoryCast '21: EP 17/21 Batman raids Buckingham Palace
In September 2004, Jason Hatch dressed up in a Batman costume and broke into the grounds of Buckingham Palace. The Queen's home is protected by some of the tightest security measures in the world - but they weren't tight enough for this caped crusader, who climbed on the iconic building and made his way to the main balcony. A casual observer might have been forgiven for thinking Batman had stolen into the palace to execute a daring rescue. But in reality Mr Hatch was risking his life because he hadn't seen his children in more than eight years - and this superhero dad was set to stage a…
S4 · 27 Sep 2021 · 21 min
StoryCast '21: EP16/21 Escape the Taj Mumbai
On the evening of 26 November 2008, Director and photographer Daniela Federici was in the lobby of the five-star Taj Palace hotel, Mumbai, when Islamic terrorists began a deadly 4-day terror attack using automatic weapons and grenades. Hours before, the Australian had arrived in the Indian port city – referred to my many in India as the ‘City of Dreams’ – to begin recording for a new TV documentary series. Instead, she found herself fleeing deep into the hotel’s vast warren of corridors as the terrorists, sent from Pakistan, mercilessly hunted down and murdered guests and security personnel.…
S4 · 20 Sep 2021 · 17 min
StoryCast ’21: EP 15/21 Tim Peake: Britain’s first spacewalk
The UK has a long history of exploration, however by 2016, only one astronaut, Helen Sharman, had travelled to space bearing the colours of the UK flag and no Briton had ever experienced the most demanding and perilous experience of spaceflight. That was until one January morning in 2016. Former RAF test pilot, husband and father, Tim Peake, had arrived at The International Space Station (ISS) just weeks before. When mission control discovered damage to an external power unit, Peake, and fellow astronaut Tim Kopra, were tasked with its repair - a complex undertaking, fraught with danger,…
S4 · 13 Sep 2021 · 18 min
StoryCast '21: EP 14/21 Taking Down Saddam
From Pauls Valley in Oklahoma, USA, Miles Hill always dreamed of joining the US Marine Corps. Growing up, family life was coloured by US military history - his grandparents served in World War Two and Korea. So when al Qaeda terrorists attacked the US on 11 September, 2001, it set in motion a chain of events that brought Hill to Iraq in 2003, as part of the Marine Corps. An idealistic 19-year-old, Hill had little understanding of geo-politics, but it was his absolute conviction that the world would be a better place without the Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi dictator had been a destabilising…
S4 · 6 Sep 2021 · 37 min
StoryCast '21: EP 13/21 9/11 Janice Brooks: Inside the South Tower
Saturday September 11, 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on the US, which resulted in almost 3000 deaths and injured 25,000 people. At around 8 o'clock on the morning of the attacks, a group of al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes before flying them - packed with passengers - towards targets in New York and Washington D.C. In the hours that followed, one of the deadliest attacks in US history played out live on TV screens around the world. From London’s East End, Janice Brooks, had just moved to New York. Then aged 41, she'd started a new job with the…
S4 · 2 Aug 2021 · 18 min
StoryCast '21: EP 12/21 The Beirut Blast: Ghassan's story
Ghassan Hasrouty wasn’t supposed to be working at Beirut’s port on Tuesday, 4th August 2020. He’d swapped shifts to allow him to attend an upcoming weekend trip with his wife and children. A senior manager, Ghassan had worked at the port for 38-years. He knew its rhythms well and anticipating that he may have to work through the night, he called home and asked for someone bring him a pillow and blanket. Around the same time Zein Ja’Far, Sky News' Middle East News Editor based in Beirut, was working from his apartment, less than half a mile away when he noticed smoke coming from the port. A…
S4 · 26 Jul 2021 · 19 min
StoryCast '21: EP 11/21 The Last Gun: Disarming the IRA
In September 2005, the responsibility of securing a lasting peace in Northern Ireland fell on the shoulders of two unlikely men - a Protestant minister and a Catholic priest. Unbeknown to high-ranking security officials in both the British and Irish Governments, the Rev Harold Good and Father Alec Reid were to undertake a secret mission to bring about the disarmament of the IRA. To this day, what happened before and during that covert mission, remains shrouded in mystery. But now aged 84, Reverend Harold Good, speaking exclusively to Sky News, gives a searing new insight into an act that not…
S4 · 19 Jul 2021 · 21 min
StoryCast '21: EP 10/21 On Stage with Amy Winehouse
Three days before Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning, she made her final stage appearance alongside her Goddaughter and musical protégée Dionne Bromfield. Now for the first time, Dionne reveals the ‘Aunty Amy’ only she knew. A decade since Winehouse’s death, she remains one of the UKs top selling artists. She also remains eclipsed by the media portrayal: The icon, the beehive hairstyle, the bright lights, paparazzi, and addiction that ultimately destroyed her. 'On Stage with Amy Winehouse' explores the Amy Dionne remembers, why it’s taken 10-years to process her death, and how finding a…
S4 · 12 Jul 2021 · 17 min
StoryCast '21: EP 9/21 The UK Biker Wars
On August 12, 2007, mechanic and Hell’s Angel, Gerry Tobin, was shot dead by a rival biker gang as he was riding his motorcycle on the M40 in Warwickshire. The shooting, on a busy Sunday afternoon, was carefully planned by members of the Outlaw’s biker gang and had roots in a turf war. But the nature of the attack, brought a previously underground world screaming into the mainstream. Sky Correspondent, Darren Little, was dispatched to the murder scene, not knowing that it was the beginning of a story that would take more than two years to tell and culminate in a face-to-face meeting with one…
S4 · 5 Jul 2021 · 17 min
StoryCast '21: EP 8/21 Terror in Brussels Airport
Reporters typically arrive to the scene of a major news story after the event. But on March 22, 2016, Sky News National Correspondent, Alex Rossi, was in the Duty Free at Brussels Airport when ISIS terrorists detonated two bombs in the departures lounge. Just metres from where he was stood only moments earlier, people now lay dead. Among those severely injured was Sebastien Bellin, a former Belgian basketball player. Just months before, in November 2015, ISIS had attacked Paris, killing 130 people. Because of the nature of that attack, both men now expected more bombs and further deaths.…
S4 · 28 Jun 2021 · 17 min
StoryCast '21: EP7/21 A Football Fairy Tale
In December 2012, Bradford City, a team that cost less than £10K to assemble, and then in danger of dropping out of the football league, wrote one of the most romantic chapters in the history of British sport when they met Arsenal, one of the elites of the game, in a competitive fixture. The game represented not only a collision of football extremes, but economic circumstance. For Bradford, the contest symbolised a broader north-south divide. So, led by former supermarket-shelf-stacker turned striker James Hanson, they set out to achieve the impossible. New Episode every Monday StoryCast…
S4 · 21 Jun 2021 · 18 min
StoryCast ’21: EP 6/21 War Child
Shot and left for dead during a military attack on her village in 2017, 12-year-old Rohingya girl, Zoora, escapes through the jungles and waterways of Myanmar, before finding refuge in Bangladesh. But having lost both her parents, Zoora’s path to safety remains fraught with danger. Then, a chance meeting with Sky News correspondent Ashish Joshi, profoundly changes both their lives. New Episode every Monday StoryCast '21: Using the timeframe of the last 21-years, Sky News returns to some of this century's biggest news stories, using the focus of extraordinary personal stories, defined by…

About Russell Brand: On Trial

Russell Brand: On Trial is a English news podcast from Sky News. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Sky News
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 19 min
Latest episode: 12 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1465739231
Rights: Copyright Sky News

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