The late comedian Sean Lock once joked that he feared his daughters might one day bring someone like Russell Brand home. Lock, who died in 2021, made clear how strongly he disliked Brand during a 2014 episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats, accusing the comedian of retreating from his earlier political stance.
“He began by saying, ‘Don’t vote—it’s pointless and stupid, so don’t vote,’” Lock said. “Now Russell Brand has appeared and said, ‘No, what I’m really asking is, who am I meant to vote for?’”
Lock argued that, stripped down, Brand’s position amounted to the kind of everyday political cynicism heard at bus stops and newsagents: “Politicians—what are they like? How did those people ever get elected?”
He continued: “The problem is that people end up with the politicians they deserve because they don’t take an interest in politics.
“For [Brand] to tell people who are already disillusioned and disengaged from the political process not to vote is the most moronic, self-serving, pathetic piece of attention-seeking w***.”
Lock then admitted that fatherhood had intensified his reaction. “The reason I probably hate him so much is because I’m a dad,” he said. “I’m terrified that one day my daughters might bring something like that home—and he’ll walk in saying, ‘Oh, oh, what a pleasure it is to be in your charming abode.’”