Russell Brand says baptism in the Thames ‘changed’ him

He described it as an 'incredible profound experience'

Last week, the 48-year-old posted a video on social media in which he announced he would be getting baptised.

The media personality described baptism as an "opportunity to leave the past behind." This comes less than a year after he was the subject of a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation that detailed allegations of sexual assault against him.

Brand has since released another video speaking about the experience.

On Monday (April 29), he told his followers: "Yesterday I got baptized and it was an incredible, profound experience. Many of you will have had your own experiences of baptism and will therefore know what I'm talking about.

“Many aspects of it were very intimate and personal.”

He drew comparisons between the baptism and his previous battles with drug addiction, saying: “The truth is this, as a person that has in the past taken many, many substances and always been disappointed with their inability to deliver the kind of tranquility and peace and even transcendence I always felt I've been looking for, something occurred in the process of baptism that was incredible, overwhelming – literally overwhelming because I was obviously underwater, and it was the River Thames – at some points. So I felt changed, transitioned.”

Brand finished the video by saying he felt "so grateful to be surrendered to Christ."

Last September, the Times and Channel 4 released a joint investigation into Brand in which four women accused him of rape, sexual assault and abuse between 2006 and 2013.

Since then, other allegations have been made against the comedian, with the BBC investigating claims that he exposed himself to a woman before later joking about the alleged incident on his Radio 2 show.

Brand has been questioned by the Metropolitan Police and strongly denies all the accusations.

Last month, Channel 4 concluded an internal investigation which found that there is "no evidence" bosses were aware of the allegations against Brand during his time with the broadcaster.

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