Jonathan Ross points assertion on ‘pals’ David Walliams and Russell Brand
The British TV legend broke his silence about his ‘friends’ who have been publicly shamed for their sexual misconduct with girls and women as Ross said ‘I am horrified’ by the shocking revelations that are continuing to emerge
David Walliams appearing on ITV with Jonathan Ross(Image: Brian J Ritchie/Hotsauce/Shutterstock)
Jonathan Ross has broken his silence on his ‘friends’ Russell Brand and David Walliams, as Brand goes to prison for rape and Walliams is levelled with allegations of preying on vulnerable teenagers for sex.
The famous presenter has now issued a statement, saying he was at one time friendly with both men – but ‘genuinely unaware of their conduct’, reports The Mirror.
Ross added that his ‘thoughts are with the many, many women who have bravely come forward’. The statement comes after footage re-emerged of Ross joking at an awards show about ‘drunk 15-year-olds’ ‘going home with David Walliams’, who laughed at the barb.
He said: “I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation.
“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.”
Ross, 65, then addressed an old video from a 2004 awards show where he was shown joking: “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.”
Footage of Jonathan Ross shows him joking about David Walliams and a 15-year-old(Image: ITV)
Ross clarified that he didn’t write the joke himself, saying: “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.
“This joke was submitted to me by the Comedy Awards script writing 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.
Russell Brand during an appearance on Jonathan Ross’ BBC chat show(Image: BBC)
“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.”
He concluded: “I also like to think that I would have acted upon that knowledge.”
Walliams was today accused of allegedly using his status as a celebrity to prey on vulnerable teenagers and young women for sex.
A three-year investigation into the 55-year-old claims that he abused his power and position for sexual purposes on a multiple occasions with teenagers as young as 15 as a number of women made new allegations against him.
The joint investigation by the Guardian and ITV News has now been publised online and it features a number of women telling how Walliams is said to have allegedly preyed on them for sexual purposes.
Walliams was shown laughing and raising two fingers at the host(Image: ITV)
Walliams has denied all wrongdoing. In a letter addressed to the journalists working on the investigation, Walliams wrote: “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.
“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.”
Brand is currently in jail after he was convicted of one rape and three sexual assaults last week.
Jonathan was one of several celebs pictured at a star-studded event where Walliams was seen with his arm around a teenager who now accuses him of grooming.
There is no suggestion others pictured in the charity event photo, including Ricky Gervais, Jane Fallon and Joe Cornish, were aware of any alleged wrongdoing.
