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Brand, Walliams and MAFS: Is this a reckoning for the entertainment industry?

Brand, Walliams and MAFS: Is this a reckoning for the entertainment industry?

These stories represent the consequences of changes that began years ago, rather than being a sudden cultural shift.

This week, the dark side of television has come crashing into the open.

On Monday, disgraced entertainer Russell Brand was jailed for rape and sexual assault.

Twenty-four hours later, author and comedian David Walliams was unmasked and accused of preying on young women.

By Friday the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into further allegations about him.

Also in the last week, Married at First Sight UK has been cancelled following allegations of rape on the hit TV show.

These are all very different stories, but each can be seen as a major reckoning with abuse of power and culture in the industry.

In reality, the glut of recent days is something of a coincidence.

All these revelations began with journalistic investigations that started years ago.

From my own experience - including in my Panorama on Married at First Sight UK - I know investigations typically take a very long time to reach a conclusion, from initial tip-off, to evidence-gathering, corroboration, getting responses, and eventually reporting.

"The truth is, these stories have a long build up. It can be incredibly difficult to get [them] in the papers," Sunday Times columnist Hadley Freeman told me.

In the case of Brand, there was then a police investigation too, before an outcome was reached in court.

In brief

This week, the dark side of television has come crashing into the open. On Monday, disgraced entertainer Russell Brand was jailed for rape and sexual assault. Twenty-four hours later, author and comedian David Walliams was unmasked and accused of preying on young women. Also in the last week, Married at First Sight UK has been cancelled following allegations of rape on the hit TV show.

This is the opening of the story, shared with credit to BBC News — Top Stories. The rest of the report — with every detail — continues on the publisher’s website.

Continue reading at BBC News — Top Stories ↗

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