LONDON, – Britain’s culture minister, Lisa Nandy, said on Sunday there was still a problem with sexual abuse in the media industry after Russell Brand, once a high-profile comedian and actor, was convicted of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three more.
She said people have come forward to her to make allegations, but often women were fearful of challenging their employers because “speaking up has a very heavy cost”. Brand, the former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry, is facing a lengthy jail term after his conviction and Britain’s top police officer said on Friday he was likely to face further allegations as more victims come forward.
The broadcaster removed all previous seasons of the show in May after a BBC report detailed allegations of rape by two women during filming.
Britain’s Channel 4 cancelled “Married at First Sight UK” earlier this month following a review prompted by serious allegations of misconduct during the making of the reality show. “Time is up,” Nandy said. “It really is time for the media industry to take this seriously.”
