and joked about pretending to be gay as a “wonderful smokescreen” during a TV appearance in 2006.

The exchange took place on the first episode of , broadcast on Channel 4 in November 2006. Walliams appeared alongside his  co-star , who made the remark while speaking to the pair.

“You’re like the two gayest straight blokes there are, aren’t you?” Lucas said.

“Isn’t it glorious? It works wonderfully well” – Russell Brand on pretending to be gay

Walliams replied: “Isn’t it a wonderful smokescreen?”

Brand responded: “Isn’t it glorious? It works wonderfully well.”

The clip has recirculated online following the publication of allegations against Walliams by and , and Brand’s recent conviction for rape and sexual assault.

What are the allegations against David Walliams?

Walliams has been accused by multiple women of using his celebrity status to pursue young women for sex. A joint investigation published today (10 November) detailed allegations spanning more than two decades, including claims involving women who say they first met him as teenagers.

One woman alleged that Walliams began contacting her when she was 15 after meeting him at a  fan event. She said their relationship became sexual when she was 17. Another woman described an alleged sexual assault when she was 15.

The investigation also reported allegations of inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment connected to , where Walliams was a judge from 2012 to 2022, and his former publisher HarperCollins.

Moment Russell Brand and old friend David Walliams joke about pretending to be gay as a ‘smokescreen’ on Channel 4 comedy show https://t.co/8scqTo3ckI

— That’s The Badger! (@Thatsthebad) November 9, 2026

Walliams denies the allegations and any criminal wrongdoing. In a statement, he said: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law.”

He acknowledged that some women with whom he had casual sexual relationships had been hurt, adding: “I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret.”

Walliams had previously sought a High Court injunction to prevent the reporting from being published. The application was dismissed, and he did not appeal before the deadline.

Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison

Brand, meanwhile, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on Monday (9 November), after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. He denied the charges and was acquitted of three further allegations.