Fame Under Fire to feature daily court updates

The BBC is bringing back its Fame Under Fire podcast to offer in-depth coverage of Russell Brand’s forthcoming trial.

The former comedian is due in court from October 12 to face three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. He has denied all charges.

Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty will be reporting from Southwark Crown Court each day to guide audiences through the developments, explain the legal process and analyse the evidence.

The series will also explore the role social media plays in high-profile trials.

Mutanda-Dougherty, above, said: ‘Alongside traditional reporting, there are podcasts, TikToks, livestreams, reaction videos and endless online commentary. The challenge is that information moves quickly, and a lot of it is inaccurate or incomplete.

‘Fame Under Fire helps listeners understand what has happened, what we know to be true, and why it matters. It combines rigorous reporting with straightforward storytelling to make complex legal proceedings accessible for everyone.’

There will also be a pre-trial episode on October 8, outlining the charges against Brand, explaining the legal process, and giving audiences an essential guide to the case.

Fame Under Fire launched in late 2024 with Diddy on Trial, which closely followed the trial of music executive Sean Combs. That series reached number one in the UK podcast charts.

The series most recently examined the trial of Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis for the 1996 murder of rap icon Tupac Shakur, which concluded in August with his conviction.

Fame Under Fire is available on BBC Sounds, BBC iPlayer, YouTube and other podcast platforms.

Published: 1 Oct 2026