British actor Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance on charges of rape and sexual assault.

The comedian-turned-conspiracy-podcaster appeared in a London court on Saturday (AEST) and entered five individual pleas.

The charges relate to four women more than two decades ago.

Brand, once one of Britain’s most high-profile broadcasters and ex-husband of US pop singer Katy Perry, denies all five criminal charges.

The 49-year-old has consistently denied having non-consensual sex since allegations were first aired two years ago.

British prosecutors announced in April that Brand had been charged with two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault against four women between 1999 and 2005.

Brand, who previously gave his address as being in England but also lives in the US, is due to stand trial in June 2026.

He spoke only to confirm his name and enter his five not guilty pleas before leaving the court with his lawyer and some companions.

After the charges were first announced, Brand said in a video posted on social media that in his younger days, before getting married and having children, he had been a fool and a sex addict but “what I never was, was a rapist”.

In the 2000s, Brand was a regular on British screens, known for his flamboyant style and appearance.

He worked for the BBC and starred in a number of films including Get Him to the Greek before marrying Perry in 2010. They divorced 14 months later.

By the early 2020s, he had faded from mainstream culture, appearing primarily on his internet channel where he airs his views on US politics and free speech.

In September 2023, the Sunday Times and Channel 4 TV’s Dispatches show reported allegations of sex offences against him. Police began investigating some weeks later.

Brand, who said in 2024 he had become a Christian, rejected those accusations.

-with AAP