A former personal assistant to Russell Brand said in evidence read at Southwark Crown Court that he asked her to get phone numbers from female fans when she started the job. Helen Berger worked closely with Brand from June 2006 to February 2007. The BBC and The Guardian reported her written statement on Monday.

Berger said the request felt uncomfortable and that she later refused to keep doing it. She described Brand as having an insane sexual appetite and said people around him normalised and dismissed bad behaviour. She said she never witnessed anything against the law but left because she was sick of him and burnt out.

Brand, 51, faces three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. The allegations from six female complainants span 1999 to 2009. He denies all the charges. His defence says any sexual activity was consensual and that accounts were twisted after a 2023 television documentary. The prosecution was due to finish on Tuesday morning.

What we know: Berger's evidence about fan phone numbers and Brand's alleged behaviour was put before the jury on Monday.
What we don't: How the jury will weigh her account against Brand's denial, and what remaining witnesses will say.