Jonathan Ross 'horrified' by David Walliams' allegations as he speaks out on joke he made in 2004
Jonathan Ross has issued a statement on the allegations against David Walliams and Russell Brand’s conviction, saying he was 'genuinely unaware' of their alleged conduct.
The 65-year-old broadcaster, who was publicly friends with both men in the past, also touched on a ‘tasteless’ joke he read out at the 2004 Comedy Awards about a ‘15-year-old going home’ with Walliams, which has recently resurfaced online.
On Tuesday (10 November), Walliams was revealed to be the celebrity who lost an injunction bid against The Guardian and ITV to prevent them from publishing allegations of sexual misconduct.
The investigation includes claims that he groomed teenage girls as young as 15 and abused his position to pursue women. He denies all of the accusations.
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It came after Brand was jailed on Monday (9 November) for 10-and-a-half years for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
Ross told LADbible: “I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation.”
He added: “There was a time in my life when I was on friendly terms with both men, and during that period I was genuinely unaware of their conduct.
“My thoughts are with the many, many women who have bravely come forward.”
In his statement, the TV personality also addressed a controversial joke he made about Walliams at the Comedy Awards in 2004, which has resurfaced online.
In the clip, he told the crowd: “The Comedy Awards is 15 years old - 15 years old! And like most 15-year-olds, it’s drunk, it’s unpredictable, and it’s probably going home with David Walliams.”
Reflecting on it more than two decades later, and after the allegations against Walliams emerged, Ross said: “I recognise how deeply shocking it is to revisit footage of a joke delivered by me at the Comedy Awards in 2004, in which I make light of the notion of Walliams going home with a 15-year-old.”
He explained: “This joke was submitted to me by the Comedy Awards scriptwriting team and I believed that the punchline was a reference to the fact he had publicly dated younger women, exaggerated for comic effect.
“It is also a tasteless joke that I would not dream of making today about anyone, but that is beside the point.”
The comedian urged: “Had I had any reason to suspect that it might be referring to actual events, I would not only have refused to use it, but I would not have felt comfortable continuing a personal or professional relationship with him. I also like to think that I would have acted upon that knowledge.”
In a letter to The Guardian and ITV News, Walliams denied all allegations against him, writing: “Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with.
“I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret. And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did.”
He added: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.
Topics: Russell Brand, Celebrity, News, UK News, Crime
Madison Burgess
