Russell Brand has called for tickling children to be banned, claiming the act violates their personal space.
Brand, 43, threatened to “punch” anyone who tries to tickle his daughters, Mabel, two, and Peggy, six months, who he shares with Laura Gallacher.
The comedian said he still feels “dreadful shame” at tickling David Baddiel’s son Ezra in the past.
“To recall doing this to Ez fills me with dreadful shame and makes me want to punch myself in the face,” he told the Daily Star.
“Which is what I will do to anyone who tickles either of my daughters until they are old enough to decide for themselves whether they want to be tickled or not, which by my reckoning is at 35.”
He continued: “It is an attempt to subvert the child’s bodily autonomy, to take away their right to their own space and peace.
“Would you do it to an adult? Would you insert your rigid fingers into their belly or their armpits? Of course not.”
Brand recently opened up about his parenting, revealing he takes a more “mystical” and “reflective” approach, which involves swerving the nappy changing.
“Not so good on the nappies and making sure they eat food,” he told The Times. “When I looked after Mabel on her own, she dropped two social classes in an hour. In no time at all, we’re in a coffee shop, she’s just got a nappy on and she’s covered in stuff because I’m not willing to fight any of the battles.”
He continued: “Laura does all of it. It turns out that she is extremely well versed in the nuances and complexities of child-rearing.”
He was branded “sexist” by many who urged him to “get in the bin”.
