Noel Fielding claims he has had ‘no contact’ with Russell Brand for many years

The Great British Bake Off presenter Noel Fielding said he has had “no contact” with Russell Brand “for many years”.

It comes after Brand was jailed for 10 and a half years for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others, and has been accused of abusing his celebrity status to prey on women.

In a statement issued to The Sun, Fielding said: “I was horrified and deeply disturbed to learn of Russell Brand’s crimes, which I was completely unaware of until they became public knowledge. My thoughts are with the women whose courage brought him to justice.

“I appeared on TV, radio and live charity shows with him, and whilst we played it up for the cameras and in the media, I considered it a professional relationship, rather than a personal one. I have had no contact with him for many years.

“Looking back at some of the jokes I made alongside him I was appalled. They were horrible and inappropriate, and I very much regret them.”

Brand and Fielding appeared together on Channel 4’s Big Fat Quiz Of The Year and performed charity gigs together as The Goth Detectives.

On Thursday, a further six women accused Brand of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour in a new investigation by The Times and The Sunday Times.

It comes after presenter Jonathan Ross issued a statement distancing himself from Brand, and comedian David Walliams, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, including grooming teenage girls as young as 15, and abusing his position to pursue women.

Walliams denies any wrongdoing.

In a statement to the Press Association, Ross said: “I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation.

“There was a time in my life when I was on friendly terms with both men, and during that period I was genuinely unaware of their conduct.

“My thoughts are with the many, many women who have bravely come forward.”

Brand began his career as a TV presenter and comedian and became a Hollywood star, appearing in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Hop and the Despicable Me franchise.

During a two-decade career he cemented his status in the spotlight through his marriage to singer Katy Perry, and subsequent appearances on TV, radio, stage and podcasts.

He is expected to serve two thirds of his sentence before being released on licence, and will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.