Meanwhile, a TV producer was removed from two BBC sitcoms amid claims he had watched and laughed as Brand sexually assaulted a woman.
Jack Bayles, the head of comedy at Various Artists Limited, was asked to “step back” from the company after Southwark Crown Court heard he “watched and laughed” while the 51-year-old put his head into a woman’s groin area during a recording session in 2009.
Mr Bales told The Times in a statement: “I am appalled and sickened by Brand’s actions and have co-operated fully and voluntarily with the investigation and endeavoured to assist as best I can.
“However, I do not remember the incident that took place 17 years ago in 2009. But I acknowledge that I clearly missed something at the time and did not see nor recognise that it caused distress. For that I am sincerely sorry.
“At the time of the offence, I was in the early stages of my career, and it was a frantic, pressured and toxic working environment. Brand was chaotic, dismissive and manipulated the people around him.
“It was due to that, that I made the decision to stop working with him in 2010 and have not had any contact with him since. During my time working with Brand no complaints were made to me about his behaviour, and I am unaware if any were raised to anyone else more senior to me.