Jonathan Ross has issued a statement in the wake of allegations against David Walliams and the conviction of Russell Brand, saying he is "horrified" by the claims and apologising for a joke he delivered at the 2004 British Comedy Awards.
Ross, now 65 and a father of three, made the remarks at the awards ceremony, saying: "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."
He claims he did not write the joke himself, but it suggests rumours of Walliams' behaviour were widespread in the industry.
Walliams' Court Bid and Denials
Walliams had tried to use a High Court injunction to stop ITV News and The Guardian from publishing findings from a three-year investigation into allegations dating back as far as 2003. He lost his court bid last week, but his identity was only revealed when he missed a deadline to appeal that decision.
The 55-year-old father of one has not been arrested or charged with any offence and has strongly denied any criminal wrongdoing, insisting he is "not a sexual predator".
In his statement, Ross also addressed his other close friend, Russell Brand, who was this week sentenced to 10 years and six months in jail after being convicted of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Ross's Statement and Apology
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."
He 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."
Past Incidents and Industry Reaction
Ross's statement comes only four years after he and Brand left horrifying messages on the answerphone of Andrew Sachs in October 2008, during an episode of The Russell Brand Show on BBC Radio 2. The prank call included grossly offensive comments referencing Brand's relationship with the Fawlty Towers actor's granddaughter Georgina Baillie.
A well-placed source still working in the showbiz industry believes the events of this week will open the floodgates and see a slew of fresh allegations against a number of household names appear. The source claims the behaviour of many high-profile celebrities has been common knowledge for years and, in some cases, they have also used injunctions to suppress details of alleged indiscretions being made public.
Ross said: "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."
The question now is how many others who operated in the same orbit will follow suit as the spotlight of scrutiny is finally shone on the murky world of entertainment.
