Warning: This article contains discussion of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment which some readers may find distressing.
On Friday evening, Piers Morgan spoke with Russell Brand in an interview for his YouTube programme, Piers Morgan Uncensored.
After the episode aired, viewers discussed the exchange at length, with many praising Morgan’s approach during what they described as an uncomfortable moment. The interview comes as Brand is set to face trial on three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault.
Brand has repeatedly denied all allegations and charges.
One of the most talked-about sections centred on the Bible Brand had brought with him to court. Footage previously showed him reading from it before an officer later removed it.
“Can I go back to asking you a question about your Bible? Was that the one you took into court?” Said Morgan.
“What was your thinking in taking it into court? You were seen looking at some passages, what were the relevant passages to you?”
Brand then began turning through the pages, appearing to search for a specific verse. As the seconds passed, many watching described the pause as difficult to sit through, with roughly 90 seconds going by before he located anything he felt fit the point he was trying to make.
Throughout that stretch, Morgan didn’t interrupt or attempt to cut in, leaving the silence to continue unbroken. That decision, in particular, is what many people online highlighted as effective.
Brand ultimately didn’t find the exact verse he seemed to be looking for, but did settle on a different passage that he suggested conveyed a similar idea.
Reaction online included praise even from some who are usually critical of Morgan.
One person wrote on X: “If @piersmorgan hadn’t blocked me, I’d happily tell him that his judgment here was impeccable; a masterful silence. I’m astonished that @rustyrockets, with his capacity as an actor and spontaneous verbiage, didn’t have the presence of mind simply to extemporise. He most have known the gist of the verse from Isaiah, and could (I’d have thought) have paraphrased with conviction. Piers wouldn’t have been any the wiser.”
This is so painful to watch.
Piers Morgan asked Russell Brand to read the passages that were relevant to him when he brought his Bible into court. pic.twitter.com/LGF9dEpvOO
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) April 24, 2026
Another said: “The discipline of @piersmorgan to just sit there silently for the excruciating 90 seconds of page turning without interjecting at all… props.”
While a third added: “Superb! Absolutely electrifying. The cringe factor was off the scale!”
And a fourth said: “No one, and I do mean no one, has said more critical things about Piers Morgan than me, but silently letting this play out was broadcasting genius.”
And a fifth wrote: “Piers Morgan giving a masterclass here.”
Brand is due to stand trial in October at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Earlier in the week, during an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show podcast, Brand said he had sex with a 16-year-old when he was 30.
He said: “In Europe and in the United Kingdom where I’m from, the age of consent is 16. And I did sleep with a 16-year-old when I was 30.
“But when I was 30, I was a very different person. I was a lot younger and I was an immature 30-year-old.”
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org