Sean Lock Took Aim at Russell Brand and David Walliams on 8 Out of 10 Cats

Sean Lock drew attention for challenging fellow comedians Russell Brand and David Walliams on Channel 4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats, according to the report. The comedian, who died of cancer in 2021, made the remarks years before the latest scrutiny of allegations involving both performers. During a 2014 episode, Lock criticised Brand’s political comments and described him as “self-serving.” He said he disliked Brand in part because he was a father and worried about what his daughters might one day bring home. Lock then delivered an imagined greeting from Brand, framing the joke around the contrast between Brand’s public persona and the conduct Lock feared. Lock had also reacted sharply to a joke Walliams made on the programme in 2009, shortly after Michael Jackson’s death. Walliams referred to Jackson’s admission that he had shared his bed with children, then made a quip about being imprisoned for sharing a bed with 13-year-old boys. The article says Lock waved to get the host’s attention and appeared unimpressed as some of the audience laughed. The report presents those moments as evidence that Lock was willing to challenge his colleagues while they were prominent figures in British entertainment. It also notes that Lock’s comments about Brand came during a discussion of Brand’s changing stance on voting. Lock mocked what he saw as a reversal, saying Brand had moved from urging people not to vote to asking whom he should vote for. The renewed interest in the clips comes amid questions about how television figures and broadcasters responded to allegations about the comedians’ conduct. Lock’s exchanges have since been held up as examples of his outspoken style, though the article focuses on what he said on the show rather than suggesting he had access to information beyond those public moments.