Jonathan Ross has responded to the allegations against David Walliams and Russell Brand’s prison sentence after previously working with both men.
Yesterday (Tuesday November 10) it was reported that Walliams had used his fame to “prey” on a number of young women and allegedly had “inappropriate” sexual relations with them. He’s denied all the accusations. “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.”
Meanwhile on Monday (November 9) Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being found guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
After frequently working with both men, Jonathan Ross has now released a statement. “I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation,” he said.
“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 appeared on several TV shows with Brand as well as guesting on his BBC Radio 2 show where the pair left a voicemail mocking Andrew Sachs over Brand’s relationship with his granddaughter Georgina Baillie. Ross was suspended for three months following backlash and later apologised for the incident. “We’ve got a great responsibility, what we do is privileged and I will be more aware in future,” he said.
Back in 2004, Ross also made a joke while presenting the British Comedy Awards about Walliams “going home” with a 15-year-old girl. He says he didn’t write it though.
Jonathan Ross said that he didn't write this joke himself.
Whoever wrote the joke knew what David Walliams was up to. pic.twitter.com/NijU0OGffm
“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,” he told .
“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.”
Following the allegations against Walliams, Sky will no longer release his movie while the BBC is removing some programmes, including , while it reviews “all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms”.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.