Jonathan Ross has clarified that a 2004 joke about David Walliams 'going home with 15-year-olds' was written by the British Comedy Awards script team, not by him, as Walliams faces a series of sexual misconduct allegations that he strenuously denies.
At the 2004 British Comedy Awards, Ross opened proceedings with a quip: "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." Walliams appeared to laugh and gesture towards Ross with two fingers in response.
Ross responds to resurfaced joke
Ross was contacted by The Guardian and confirmed through his legal representatives that he had not written the joke himself. He later said: "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."
Ross added: "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."
Walliams denies allegations
Walliams, 55, was revealed as the subject of a significant investigation after he lost a legal battle to prevent publication. He had sought a court injunction to suppress the allegations on the grounds that their release posed a risk to his life, following two previous suicide attempts.
Full details of the investigation were published by The Guardian and ITV News, with multiple women alleging that the author exploited his celebrity status to prey on them sexually. Walliams has strenuously denied all the allegations.
Lawyers representing the media organisations previously informed the High Court in London that the allegations concerned Walliams' purported "abuse of power and status" to contact young women and attempt to engage in "inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities".
Police contact media organisations
In a reported letter to The Guardian and ITV News, Walliams stated: "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... I am devastated that some of the women I met ten to twenty years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me."
The Metropolitan Police said it has contacted The Guardian and ITV News to "ensure that any potential victims" are "made aware of how they could report any criminal allegations to police". A Met spokesperson said: "We're aware of reports in the media in relation to allegations involving a man in his 50s. The Met has not received any related reports of sexual assault or any other offences. Should we receive any reports, they will be carefully assessed. Anyone who contacts the police will be supported by specialist officers."
The spokesperson added: "Last week, we contacted the media organisations that were involved in civil proceedings relating to the protection of the identity of that individual, to ensure that any potential victims who they have spoken to could be made aware of how they could report any criminal allegations to police. Reports can be made by calling 101, providing the reference 4900/10NOV26."
