Kate Garraway has defended Jonathan Ross as “rather brave” for speaking out about Russell Brand and David Walliams during a Good Morning Britain panel discussion.
Ross, who has worked with both comedians, said he was “as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation”. The 65-year-old TV presenter added that he was “genuinely unaware of their conduct”.
Ross speaks out after resurfaced footage
Ross made his statement after footage resurfaced of him joking about Walliams and 15-year-olds at the 2004 British Comedy Awards. Walliams has been accused of sexual misconduct, including contacting girls as young as 15, allegations he denies.
Brand, meanwhile, has been convicted of rape and sexual assault following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court and sentenced to 10-and-a-half years.
Garraway's defence and backlash
Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Thursday, November 12, Garraway said she could believe Ross did not know what was going on, referencing an uncomfortable moment during the 2007 Big Fat Quiz special involving Brand, Noel Fielding and Lily Allen. Ross had said Allen, then 21, needed to be moved further away from Brand and Fielding so that she “might go home with her dress still on”.
Garraway said: “That was the culture of the time, and has been till very, very recently. But that's not okay. No one's saying it's okay.”
However, panellist Ayesha Hazarika disagreed, calling it “nonsense” that Ross was unaware of the behaviour. “He is part of a culture at that time, that lads' mags, sort of laddy banter,” she said, referencing the Allen interaction.
Garraway added: “The thing about Jonathan Ross that I was saying is that he has been very kind to me and a very good friend and I didn't know him at all during the period you're referring to. I think the reason it came out is that it was a joke that was written for him at an awards ceremony... He wanted to make the point that was written for him.” Her comments led to backlash online.
Ross's full statement
In his statement, released on Tuesday, November 10, Ross addressed the 2004 joke about Walliams and teenagers: “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.”
