Russell Brand and David Walliams joked about gay ‘smokescreen’ tactic that ‘works wonderfully well’ years before scandals

A video of convicted rapist Russell Brand and comedian David Walliams, who was accused of sexual misconduct, joking about a gay “smokescreen” recently resurfaced.

In a 2006 appearance on the “Russell Brand Show,” the “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” star was given a black top hat that he placed on his head.

Actor Matt Lucas, who was a guest alongside Walliams, joked, “Girl, you look gorge. You’re like the two gayest straight blokes there are, aren’t you?”

Russell Brand wears a top hat during a 2006 appearance on the “Russell Brand Show” alongside David Walliams. Channel 4
Walliams jokes about using a gay “smokescreen” during the resurfaced 2006 broadcast. Channel 4

Walliams, 55, then responded: “Isn’t it a wonderful smokescreen?” (A smokescreen is anything said or done to cover up a scandal, hide a secret motive or distract from a bigger problem.)

“Isn’t it, though? Isn’t it glorious? It works wonderfully well,” Brand, 51, replied.

The resurfaced clip comes after Brand was sentenced to 10 years in prison for one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on Monday.

Brand calls the tactic “glorious” during the interview, years before facing sexual offense charges. Channel 4
Brand, left, and Walliams attend the British Comedy Awards 2006 afterparty in south London. PA Images via Getty Images

In 2023, the Met Police opened an investigation into the comedian after receiving a number of allegations, which followed reporting by Channel 4’s “Dispatches” and the Sunday Times.

In 2025, the “Get Him to the Greek” actor was formally charged with rape and sexual assault spanning incidents from 1999 to 2005. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Brand is currently serving “the next few weeks” of his 10-year sentence at HMP Wandsworth in London until he’s transferred to a different prison based on “security, safety and rehabilitation needs,” Kally Sahota, Senior Solicitor and Director of Sahota & Sahota Solicitors, exclusively told Page Six.

Brand sits in the dock at Southwark Crown Court in London on Nov. 5, 2026, in this courtroom sketch by Elizabeth Cook. Elizabeth Cook/PA via AP
Brand arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London on Nov. 4, 2026. He was later sentenced to 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock

As for Walliams, he was identified as the “suicidal” celeb accused of sexual misconduct who had been trying to stop publications from revealing his name.

Multiple women have accused the children’s book author of using his celebrity status to groom them for sex — two of whom claim they were just 15 when they met him.

Lawyers for Walliams told a UK judge that their client had made two attempts to take his own life and was threatening to do so a third time if his identity was outed.

David Walliams attends the Cheltenham Literature Festival in Cheltenham, England, in October 2023. David Hartley/Shutterstock
Walliams attends a performance of “Awful Auntie” in Richmond, England, in May 2024. Getty Images

After Walliams neglected to launch an appeal, his identity and lengthy list of allegations against him were revealed by the Guardian.

In a statement, the “Boy in the Dress” author denied he’s a “sexual predator.”

“Looking back, I realize that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with,” he wrote in a statement Tuesday. “That is something I regret.”

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.

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