He is rumoured to have moved on with a new woman, but Russell Brand is staying loyal to Geri Halliwell onstage - he defended the Spice Girls star at a stand-up show after an audience member made crude remarks about her.
Russell, who split from wife Katy Perry in late 2011, was linked to Ginger Spice after they both performed at the Olympics Closing Ceremony last month, and the singer seemingly confirmed the union - she was quoted by the Metro as saying: "It's been a whirlwind. All I want is to be in a loving relationship. Is he my ideal man? I'm choosy. I want someone who's trustworthy, sweet and kind."
However, the comedian was seen getting close to a mystery brunette in Bury St Edmunds earlier this week, sparking speculation his rumoured romance with Geri had fizzled out.
But Russell jumped to the 40-year-old's defence when a heckler made a joke about her during his gig in Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday.
Russell Brand defended Geri when he was heckled about her
An audience member shouted at the funnyman: "Is she ginger all over?", prompting the star to retort: "Don't be dirty."
According to The Sun, he added: "She's not got hair on her back. She's not like an orange Yeti. She's not like some hairy Jaffa Cake bear. She's still a person, she's still an actual person."
Russell had begged his fans not to ask about her - but he gained a laugh by adding: "Look, give me a year and I'll turn it into good material for you."
The newspaper has also identified Russell's mystery brunette as 24-year-old aspiring actress Aimee Levoir, a student at drama college RADA.
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