Brand, Walliams and MAFS: Is this a reckoning for the entertainment industry?

This week, the dark side of television has come crashing into the open.

On Monday, disgraced entertainer Russell Brand was jailed for rape and sexual assault.

Twenty-four hours later, author and comedian David Walliams was unmasked and accused of preying on young women.

By Friday the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into further allegations about him.

Also in the last week, Married at First Sight UK has been cancelled following allegations of rape on the hit TV show.

These are all very different stories, but each can be seen as a major reckoning with abuse of power and culture in the industry.

In reality, the glut of recent days is something of a coincidence.

All these revelations began with journalistic investigations that started years ago.

From my own experience - including in my Panorama on Married at First Sight UK - I know investigations typically take a very long time to reach a conclusion, from initial tip-off, to evidence-gathering, corroboration, getting responses, and eventually reporting.

"The truth is, these stories have a long build up. It can be incredibly difficult to get [them] in the papers," Sunday Times columnist Hadley Freeman told me.

In the case of Brand, there was then a police investigation too, before an outcome was reached in court.

Together these stories represent the consequences of changes that began years ago, rather than a sudden cultural shift in the entertainment industry.

It should also be said that Walliams denies the allegations against him . The men accused of rape and sexual misconduct on MAFS UK have also denied all the allegations.

What has changed is that women (because it almost always is women) have seen others speaking up - which, according to broadcaster Kirsty Wark, has given them "courage to do the same". She describes those who have come forward as "beyond brave".

When looking at what’s driving more women to speak up, much can be traced back to the revelations about Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement.

It changed the perception of whether victims would be believed.

In the past, women alleging this sort of behaviour faced barriers - being seen as opportunistic, fearing retaliation, believing they might be the only one.

Now, there can be a snowball effect. Once one, two or three come forward, that prompts others to revisit their experiences - which they may have dismissed or subdued.

"There is more of a sense that you will now be listened to," said Freeman.

It's also clear that when women see action taken, it can encourage others to speak up as well - as it helps counter the widely-held assumption that reporting abuse results in nothing.

When another high-profile man, MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace, faced accusations of a very different and much lesser order, relating mostly to inappropriate sexual language and humour, the reaction was similar.

Last summer, an independent inquiry upheld dozens of claims against him, and he was sacked . Wallace said "none of the serious allegations" against him had been upheld but that he was "deeply sorry for any distress caused".

One young woman I spoke to in my investigation into Wallace texted me at the time, to give her reaction to his sacking.

"I really believe this will encourage young girls going into the TV industry to have the courage to speak up, if they feel something is wrong," she told me.

But unions say it is still difficult for junior freelance workers, who often find their income unstable and unpredictable, to speak up.

Vulnerable workers "continue to fear raising concerns", said head of broadcast union Bectu, Philippa Childs.

She's echoed by Freeman, who said an "attitude of protecting the talent" remained.

"There will always be wealthy famous predators," she said. But, she added: "Hopefully more and more people at TV stations and movie studios are willing to hear these young people and will take them seriously”.

For more senior people in TV, raising the alarm can also be difficult.

Earlier this week, comedian Lucy Beaumont told Sky News: "The reason high-profile people are not saying anything is because they lose work, because you're seen that you might be a trouble causer. It does need to be said that there needs to be some intervention."

Social media has also played a role in encouraging people to speak up.

And policing investigations have had to keep pace - and adapt - with media scrutiny often prompting authorities to investigate.

Attitudes towards women who speak up are also starting to change – although not always.

Some of what unfolded in court during the Russell Brand case felt like a throwback to how rape cases used to be conducted.

Many have commented on Brand's lawyer's defence tactics against the accusers on the stand - behaviour Freeman said would have been "standard" in the past.

But Freeman noted it was heartening to hear the judge’s remarks in summing up the case - which have also been widely shared by women online and praised for dispelling rape myths.

When Mr Justice Bennathan sentenced Brand to ten-and-a-half years, he told him: "Whatever women wear, wherever they go, indeed whatever they drink, they retain the right to say no."

"I think attitudes have changed,” said Freeman. “It doesn't mean those assaults don't happen any more but attitudes around them have changed.”

Events of the past few weeks highlight how figures who rose to prominence in the nineties and noughties did so in an era with different standards.

Lad culture and celebrity status shielded Brand and others from scrutiny .