Ivan Brackenbury creator says: 'I'll take my punishment'

Comedian Tom Binns has said he will ‘take his punishment’ after admitting possessing child pornography.

The comic – best known for his hospital radio DJ alter-ego Ivan Brackenbury – told Chortle he had downloaded the images in error while under the influence of drugs for his ADHD.

Binns, 52 and from Chesterfield, admitted five counts of making and one of possessing indecent images of children when he appeared in court on November 21.

He will reappear at Derby Crown Court on January 23 for sentencing.

The charges came about following an investigation by the National Crime Agency, Chortle understands. And BBC Radio Sheffied has reported that the comedian – who had a six-part BBC One sitcom in 2017 based around his Brackenbury character  – was caught after asked a family friend to sell three devices containing indecent images on eBay.

In a statement to Chortle today, Binns said: ‘Over two years ago, while under the influence of an overdose of prescription drugs for ADHD, which induced obsessive compulsive disorder, I downloaded and deleted a very large amount of adult pornography over a short period of time.

‘Within those downloads it appears there was some child pornography which I had not sought out nor wanted.

‘I have no sexual interest in children. I have taken and passed a polygraph stating I have no sexual interest in children.

‘I am bitterly upset at the hurt this has caused my family for which I take full responsibility. I will take my punishment for this and hope that my family are not further harmed by my actions.’

Binns is married to radio producer Liesl Soards, and have made a podcast together, Chaotic Mother, about bringing up their children while living with ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The comedian started his career on radio, with stints on Radio 1, Virgin, BRMB and GLR, Talksport UK, Hallam FM and Key 103.

In 1999, London station Xfm was fined a then-record £50,000 over the use of ‘coarse sexual innuendo’ when Binns and a listener discussed bestial pornography during a phone-in about terrible jobs on his breakfast show.

Sir Peter Gibbings, chairman of the Radio Authority regulator at the time, said watchdogs had been ‘appalled’ by the content, adding: ‘The fact that this material was broadcast at breakfast time, when a significant number of young people might be expected to be listening, makes the offences all the more serious.

And in December 2009, Binns was fired from Birmingham-based BRMB after he cut short the Queen's Christmas message. It was played into his show in error instead of the expected two-minute news bulletin, so he broke into her message by saying: ‘Two words: bore-ring’.

As a comic, he was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award 2007 for his Brackenbury show, and in 2013 was named best international act at the  New Zealand International Comedy Festival.

He also performs as the comedy psychic Ian D Montfort, below, having learned the tricks of cold reading. A BBC Radio 2 series based around the medium character aired in 2013.

His other TV credits include  The IT Crowd, Spooks, Drifters, Fist of Fun and 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Published: 9 Jan 2023