Lucy Powell is facing a backlash today after insisting there were no warning signs about Russell Brand before his notorious 2015 interview with Ed Miliband.

The Cabinet minister admitted she 'regrets' helping to set up the publicity stunt for the then-Labour leader before the election.

But extraordinarily she argued in a round of interviews that there was no way of vetting the comedian because the 'social media age' had not happened. 

The claim was derided by Tories who said Brand's 'gross behaviour' was already 'plain for all to see' by that time. 

They also called for Mr Miliband to be held 'accountable' over his decision to appear on Brand's online show The Trews as he desperately attempted to win over young voters.

Ms Powell's defence came as she toured broadcast studios this morning after the comedian was sentenced. 

The Education Secretary – who was vice-chairman of Labour's 2015 election campaign – said: 'It was a long time ago, obviously had I or Ed Miliband or anybody at the time had any sense at all that this was someone who was a sexual predator, who was involved in these sorts of crimes... I think like anybody who would have paid to go to his show, would have watched him on TV, who was his employer at the time, who had interactions with him – anybody, including those of us who were involved in that at the time – would look back and really regret that, knowing today what we now know.'

By the time the interview took place, Brand had already lost his BBC Radio 2 show for leaving a series of lewd messages on actor Andrew Sachs's answerphone about a romantic liaison with his granddaughter.

He had also been fired from XFM for reading pornography on air and detailed his womanising in his autobiography.

Asked about her role in setting up the interview, Ms Powell said: 'Look, we were in very different times. We weren't in the social media age at the time, so where you could maybe search things up and see allegations or things about somebody at the time.

'And, as I say, if there was any suggestion at all, we were dealing with someone who was a known sexual predator at the time then, of course, no one would have done that.

'But as I say, he was a well-known public figure. Lots of people, from Hollywood to the BBC to many others, gave this person a very, very powerful platform.

'We didn't know at the time and unfortunately, maybe had people come forward or felt able to… it was a different era.'

Brand, 51, was jailed for ten-and-a-half years yesterday for raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three TV and radio workers during his rise to international fame.

Ms Powell said: 'What I would say to women now, off the back of that, is do come forward when these things happen to you.

'You will be supported. You will be believed. You will be taken seriously.

'Because actually, had we had an environment and a culture, 15 years ago, 20 years ago, where women felt that, then he would have been stopped in his tracks sooner and we would have had less victims as a consequence.'

Mr Miliband suffered a disastrous election defeat at the hands of the Tories in 2015 and is now Foreign Secretary.

Critics have also pointed out that Andy Burnham posted on social media in 2014 urging Brand to 'keep going', after he came under fire for renting his luxury London home from a firm based in a tax haven. 

The PM, at the time an Opposition frontbencher, said: 'Depressing to see media mission to discredit someone who stops playing their game & uses celebrity to help others. Keep going @rustyrockets.'

Mr Burnham was challenged over the post on Friday, replying: 'Well, over a decade ago. And all I can say is, I had no idea of the full extent of what he was doing or what he went on to do.

'His crimes are horrific. He's rightly been held to account, justice for the victims and that is the right course that's been taken here.

'It's not always the case that people know everything about people in public life, but what is important is that where there is wrongdoing, it is exposed.'

Tory education spokesman Laura Trott responded to Ms Powell's interviews on X this morning.

She said: 'Labour's excuse that ''we didn't know'' about Russell Brand's behaviour in 2015 simply doesn't wash. 

'His disgusting call to Andrew Sachs happened in 2008, & there were countless public appearances where his gross behaviour was plain for all to see. 

'Did people know the full extent, no, but the man's views & treatment of women were vile & out there. 

'The fact that Lucy Powell is the only one being pressed on this is wrong. She was working for Ed Miliband. 

'He should also be held accountable. 

'And the PM should have been asked about his own judgement yesterday, his tweet in 2014 telling Brand to 'keep going' and describing it as 'depressing to see media mission to discredit someone' was extraordinary given Brand's public history at that point.' 

Asked about the situation at a press conference in London, Kemi Badenoch said she was 'not someone who engages in hindsight analysis'. 

She added: 'I'm sure if it was Ed Miliband sitting in this chair he'd be very happy to attack us for guilt by association. But I don't know that they knew the extent of what he had done.

'Conservatives believe in the principle of you are innocent until you are proven guilty and he has now been proven guilty and it is a testament to all of those brave women who have been trying for a very long time to expose this man, including the journalists as well, there are a lot of journalists who have known about this who have done a great job in bringing it to light.

'I remember when Ed Miliband was chasing Russell Brand all over the place...

'I actually find it quite cringe and embarrassing when we see Labour politicians chasing celebrities like this all the time, we are supposed to be the ones who are serious and grown up and not wanting to be on Gogglebox or whatever and that is what you will get from the Conservative Party.

'Let Labour chase the celebrity status and the TikToks, we are going to focus on getting Britain working again.'