A new radio series which delves into the world of internet gurus explores how Russell Brand has become a conspiracy guru with six million followers.

Comedian Mr Brand shares videos online from a shed asking questions such as whether Covid restrictions are a tool of social control or whether Nato can be blamed for the war in Ukraine.

In September the former hellraiser applied to South Oxfordshire District Council for "change of use of garage to recording studio with minor external alterations" at the Grade II-listed The Crown in Pishill.

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It is believed his videos are recorded at the pub which Mr Brand and his wife Laura, who live in Henley, bought in March 2020.

In Radio 4’s The New Gurus, bestselling author, broadcaster and journalist Helen Lewis 'meets the people promising us enlightenment in the digital world'.

BBC publicity says: "Almost everywhere on the internet, people are giving - and receiving - advice. Advice that promises to transform our lives.

"How to eat. How to think. How to get rich. How to get a date. But who are these self-appointed gurus? Where did they come from, and how much power do these charismatic individuals wield?"

Writing in The Sunday Times, Ms Lewis said that in one of Mr Brand's videos he declares: 'The prison of the mind, that's what we have to break out of.'"

 

"Imagine if David Icke had mystical tattoos and gleaming Hollywood teeth and wore deep, chest-grazing V-necks. That's the vibe," she writes.

She says during a recent tour Mr Brand, 47, offered the audience free hugs during the interval while "many of his fans spoke about him in semi-religious tones, noting his personal charisma and his willingness to say things they didn't hear in the mainstream media.

"When I said to one man that many would see Brand as a conspiracy theorist, he replied that it was 'a badge of honour these days'".

Oxford Mail:

In what may be a joke Mr Brand's membership page shows him with Jesus-like hair, posing against a stained-glass window.

The former hellraiser and drug addict now claims to live a quiet life near Henley with his wife, Laura, and two daughters.

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Ms Lewis writes: "His speciality is chatty, high-energy romps full of provocative questions.

"It's only after watching a few of them that you notice the theme: we are all being lied to, and the Comic Messiah is the only one who can help us find the truth." 

Ms Lewis said: "I've been fascinated by internet culture since my teens, and how big, dynamic, influential communities can exist which are often invisible to outsiders.

"Whether it's wellness influencers, Bitcoin evangelists or the self-styled 'anti woke' warriors, today's internet gurus have enormous power to shape our shared culture, whether we know their names or not.

"There is a huge market online for spiritual, ethical and practical guidance, and so sorting the wise teachers from the false prophets is one of the biggest challenges of the modern world."

The New Gurus will broadcast weekdays on Radio 4 from Monday 19 December at 12pm, and it will be available on BBC Sounds.

 

 

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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris

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