After endorsing now-resigned Labour leader, comic tries to distance himself from public support, saying he was ‘caught up in some mad The Thick of It moment’

The comedian Russell Brand has performed a swift climbdown over his support for Ed Miliband, claiming he was “caught up in some mad The Thick of It” moment.

One of the most divisive highlights of the election campaign was Brand’s interview with a fired-up Labour leader at the comic-turned-political activist’s home in north London.

Miliband framed the interview as a bid to break through to Brand’s 9.5 million Twitter followers and 100,000-plus YouTube subscribers, many of whom were presumed to share the comedian’s antipathy towards the political establishment.

At great potential cost to his integrity, Brand surprised his fans and commentators by backing Miliband and urging the electorate to vote for Labour, in all seats but Brighton Pavilion, where the Green’s Caroline Lucas was seeking re-election.

But just four days after he endorsed the now-resigned Labour leader, Brand has moved to distance himself from his public support.

He said: “I think for a moment I got caught up in some mad The Thick of It, oh wow, Ed Miliband’s in my house … People were telling me, journalists, people who know loads about politics, look if Labour don’t get in it’s going to really be bad because independent living fund will get cut, public services are going get cut more than ever, its going to get worse for very poor people, the climate of the country is going to get mean and nasty. And now actually the Conservatives have won.”

I think for a moment I got caught up in some mad The Thick of It, oh wow, Ed Miliband’s in my house … Russell Brand, comedian

Perched on the end of his bed, Brand tells his viewers that he did not want to become a “de facto spokesman for people who don’t vote”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Watch the full episode of Brand’s YouTube show here

The Essex-born comedian admits that when interviewing Miliband he believed he could “probably influence the outcome of an election” and now accepts this is not the case.



Brand – who has attempted to position himself as an anti-corporate, anti-politics agitator – also laments the power of the “establishment” and “old media”.

“There was a moment where I felt like old media doesn’t have the same power as it used to, people don’t listen to the front pages of the Sun or the Mail – these things seem kind of ridiculous but evidently that is not the case,” he said.

“Evidently the old media, the establishment, is a powerful thing. David Cameron is the prime minister of this country with more seats than before. After all the things that have been happening for the last five years the result is ‘let’s keep that guy in charge’.”