Jonathan Ross “Horrified” by Walliams Allegations After 2004 Joke Resurfaces

Jonathan Ross has said he is “horrified” by the allegations against David Walliams and by the crimes of Russell Brand, after footage resurfaced of a joke he made about Walliams at an awards show in 2004.

In a statement given to the Press Association, the presenter said he had been on friendly terms with both men at one time but was “genuinely unaware of their conduct”.

What was the resurfaced clip?

The footage comes from the 2004 British Comedy Awards, which Ross hosted. In it, he made a joke about Walliams and a 15-year-old. The clip was widely shared online after the Guardian and ITV News named Walliams on Tuesday as the subject of their investigation.

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What did Jonathan Ross say?

Ross said he had understood the punchline to be a reference to Walliams publicly dating younger women, “exaggerated for comic effect”. He called it “a tasteless joke” that he “would not dream of making today about anyone”.

He said that if he had had any reason to think it referred to real events, he would have refused to use it and would not have stayed friends or worked with Walliams. His thoughts, he said, were with “the many, many women who have bravely come forward”.

The background

Walliams was named on Tuesday after losing a High Court bid to stop the reporting. Several women have accused him of sexual misconduct, including grooming teenage girls. He denies all the allegations and says he has not broken the law. The Metropolitan Police says it has not received any reports of offences but will assess any that are made.

Since then, the BBC has removed Little Britain from iPlayer while it reviews its material, and his agency has dropped him.

Russell Brand, who worked with Ross on TV and on BBC Radio 2, was jailed on Monday for ten and a half years for rape and sexual assault.

Photo: AnnaStills / Shutterstock (illustrative)