Ed Miliband regrets Russell Brand interview in 2015

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he now regrets giving an interview to Russell Brand during the 2015 general election campaign.

In recent days, the comedian, actor and YouTube star has faced allegations of rape and sexual assault, which he strongly denies.

Mr Miliband said he had agreed to the interview to encourage people to vote.

But knowing what he did now, he "wouldn't have done that interview, and I regret doing it," he told the BBC.

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Miliband, now Labour's shadow energy security and net zero secretary, said: "Russell Brand was rather notoriously going round saying people shouldn't vote because voting made no difference.

"That's why I did an interview with him, because I wanted to get to the people who he was influencing to say voting does make a difference.

"But of course, knowing what I know now - and I was not aware of these allegations at the time about Russell Brand - I wouldn't have done that interview and I regret doing it."

At the time of the interview, broadcast on the comedian's YouTube channel, the star was at the height of his fame and had become outspoken about his left-wing views and voter apathy.

Mr Miliband said he had given "hundreds of interviews" during the election campaign, but the recent allegations were "appalling" and he stood "in solidarity with those women who have come forward to tell their stories".

He rejected a claim by former Labour adviser Ayesha Hazarika that there were "no women in the room" when he agreed to the interview.

But he added that "in that era - which was not that long ago - people like Russell Brand were given too much latitude, because he had done bad things previously, and I think all of us need to reflect on that".

Mr Miliband's Labour Party went on to lose the 2015 election, after which he stood down as leader and was replaced by Jeremy Corbyn. He returned to the shadow cabinet, under Sir Keir Starmer's leadership, in 2020.

Russell Brand has been accused of rape, assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013, while he was working for the BBC, Channel 4 and starring in Hollywood films, following a joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches.

He has denied the claims, saying his relationships were "always consensual".