Russell Brand’s desperate question in prison reveals how he’s really coping

Russell Brand has reportedly been left horrified by the reality of life behind bars after asking prison officers whether he could have some privacy when using the toilet. The disgraced comedian, 51, is said to have struggled to adjust to conditions at HMP Wandsworth, where he is being held following his conviction for rape and sexual assault.

A prison source described the moment Brand was shown his cell, suggesting the reality of his situation had finally begun to sink in. A source told the Daily Mail: “This wasn’t a temporary inconvenience or something he could talk his way out of. This was going to be his life for the next seven years.

“He asked whether he could have some privacy when using the toilet, which gives you an idea of how difficult he’s finding the adjustment.” Brand was reportedly visibly shaken when he arrived at the south-west London prison, with another source claiming he appeared pale and frightened despite attempting to project an air of confidence.

The source said: “When he arrived, he came floating in almost as though he was the Messiah. There was this air of superiority about him – but you could tell immediately that it was an act.” His arrival has also reportedly attracted hostility from other inmates, who have taunted him over his convictions. One prisoner was said to have shouted: “You’re not a superstar in here, Brand. You’re just another nonce.”

The source claimed Brand had already been warned that his usual arrogance would not serve him well in prison. A woman visiting her son at the prison said: “He’s quite an arrogant person really, so the staff told him ‘arrogance doesn’t work around here’.”