Jonathan Ross speaks out after David Walliams named as celebrity accused of sexual misconduct

Warning: This article contains discussion of allegations of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.

Jonathan Ross has broken his silence after a joke he made about David Walliams at an awards ceremony in 2004 resurfaced following allegations against the Little Britain star.

Walliams was today named as the ‘well-known celebrity’ accused of sexually inappropriate behaviour and grooming in a Guardian and ITV News investigation after a failed injunction to prevent the reporting of allegations against him.

Walliams has denied the allegations made against him and his lawyers told The Guardian he 'never engaged in grooming young women', denies any sexual contact with the 15-year-old mentioned in the investigation, and that 'allegations of serious criminal conduct are false'.

In the wake of the allegations, a joke Ross made at the British Comedy Awards in 2004 has resurfaced.

“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,” joked Ross.

It was since confirmed that Ross did not write the joke.

In a statement this evening, Ross has said he is ‘horrified’ by the allegations made against Walliams.

In a statement shared with LADbible, Ross 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.

“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. 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.”

More to follow

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