Russell Brand has revealed that Bear Grylls stood by him as he was baptised in the River Thames.

The comedian and actor turned conspiracy theorist revealed in a video posted on his social media that he had become a Christian and the baptism ceremony had taken place near his home in Henley.

Holding a crucifix towards the camera, he said he was christened “in the River Thames in my home” last week and said he wanted to thank Bear Grylls and his friend Joe who stood either side of him.

"Week one as a Christian has been incredible," he added.

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Describing the ceremony, he said there had been hymns and it was "a very, very intimate experience".

“It was an incredible, profound experience and something occurred in the process of baptism that was incredible,” he said.

“It was overwhelming, literally overwhelming because I was obviously underwater, and it was the River Thames at some points, so I felt changed, transitioned.”

“This is my path now,” he said. “And I already feel incredibly blessed, relieved, nourished, held.”

Mr Brand has 6.79 million subscribers on YouTube, which he calls ‘awakening wonders’ along with other video content on the platform Rumble and ‘exclusive content’ on subscriber platform Locals.

Brand announced a week ago that he was going to be baptised as an “opportunity to leave the past behind”.

Last year Channel 4's documentary programme Dispatches and The Sunday Times carried out an investigation which revealed accusations by four women of rape, sexual assault and abuse at the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013.

He was questioned by the Metropolitan Police and has strongly denied all accusations.

He met Bear Grylls when he appeared on Running Wild with Bear Grylls in 2023 and they hiked across the Hebrides together.

The TV survivalist is an advocate for Christianity and has appeared in promotional videos for the Alpha course, which recruits people to the faith.

From 2010 to 2012, Brand was married to pop superstar Katy Perry.

Since 2017, he has been married to his wife Laura Gallacher, and the couple have two daughters and a son.

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In 2020 the couple bought The Crown Inn in Pishill, near Henley, which had been closed for years.

He recently applied to transform it into offices and a recording studio for his broadcasting activities, as well as community space and a food outlet.

However, the project was refused by South Oxfordshire District Council after a deluge of objections, with 53 coming from neighbours.

Mr Grylls confirmed his attendance at the baptism to the Daily Mail and described assisting in Brand’s baptism as a “privilege” after the comedian’s “tough time”.