Russell Brand is pictured on stage ‘earlier than he raped lady in her lodge room at Labour celebration convention’: RECAP

Russell Brand and Laura Gallacher have appealed to supporters to pray for them through ‘difficult times’ ahead of his trial over alleged sex attacks on six women.

The comedian and born-again Christian, 51, and his publicity-shy wife, 39, told viewers of their weekly Sunday Service show yesterday that it would continue throughout his case.

Ms Gallacher has quietly supported her husband since their marriage in 2017, but has set aside her naturally reclusive nature as the couple launched their Christian YouTube show five months ago.

Read the full story from the Daily Mail’s chief reporter Martin Robinson here:

Daily Mail journalists Rebecca Camber, Liz Hull and Caroline Cheetham will be at Southwark Crown Court every day reporting on Russell Brand’s trial as it unfolds.

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Each week one of our veteran court reporters will be sharing details on the trial that you may have missed.

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We’ve just seen the first sketch by artist Elizabeth Cook of Russell Brand appearing in the dock during jury selection at Southwark Crown Court today.

As Brand left the court, a fan shouted through a microphone: ‘Innocent until proven guilty. Russell Brand.’

Another fan stood with a cardboard sign saying: ‘I stand with Brand.’

The defendant did not acknowledge them or comment as he left court.

It is expected that the jury selection process will continue tomorrow, ahead of the prosecution opening its case against Brand on Wednesday morning.

The jurors have also been told that the trial is expected to last around six weeks.

The judge has warned potential jurors not to research the case.

He added: ‘In a case like this, the defendant is someone who is clearly well known.’

Jurors were told to return to court tomorrow to be sworn as a panel.

Brand’s wife Laura Gallacher and his bodyguard stood in the public gallery at Southwark Crown Court this morning to watch a panel of 20 potential jurors being selected.

With Brand in the dock, Mr Justice Bennathan started the process of selecting jurors who will sit on the case.

A group of 50 prospective jurors were first asked if they had seen a Channel 4 documentary or read a newspaper article concerning allegations about Brand in 2023.

The judge said: ‘We are about to start the trial of one Mr Russell Brand. Many of you will have heard of him. About three years ago, there was a TV programme and a long article in the Times newspaper in which some allegations were made against him of sexual misconduct. They were allegations he firmly denied.

‘The jury in this trial will hear something about that programme and the allegations in the programme and the newspaper article. But we, the lawyers and the judge, all agree if any of you remember as you stand here today watching the Channel 4 documentary or remember reading the article in the Times about three years ago, please put a hand up now.’

The judge then dismissed six members of the jury panel who identified that they remembered seeing the media coverage.

Russell Brand’s trial is expected to last up to ten weeks.

The process of jury selection is expected to begin this morning.