How 2000s lad culture helped Russell Brand to hide in plain sight

In light of his offending, writing that was celebrated for being frank, honest - and very funny - now looks anything but.

People "are willing to mistake irony and self-awareness for truth telling and trustworthiness," says Ditum. "The idea that he made these jokes about being this kind of sexual monster was supposed to convince you that he wasn't actually a sexual monster in real life."

Did normalising his behaviour allow him to hide in plain sight? Were the media companies who embraced him, the comedy venues who promoted him, the audiences who laughed at his humour, in some way complicit?