A video from 2004 showing chat show host Jonathan Ross joking that 15-year-olds would “go home with” David Walliams at an awards ceremony has resurfaced online following recent allegations against the comedian.
Walliams, 55, was named as the high-profile celebrity who launched High Court legal proceedings to prevent media organisations from broadcasting and publishing allegations of sexual misconduct. After legal restrictions were lifted, investigations published by The Guardian and ITV detailed accounts from several women.
Allegations and Denial
One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams, when she was 15, as a “sexual assault”. Multiple women accuse him of “grooming” them when they were teenagers. Walliams denies any wrongdoing.
The resurfaced footage dates back to December 2004, when Ross hosted the British Comedy Awards. Walliams and co-creator Matt Lucas were present to accept the award for Best TV Comedy for Little Britain.
The Resurfaced Joke
Addressing the audience during the ceremony, Ross said: “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.” Footage from the event showed Walliams laughing in response to the remark. Representatives for Ross stated that the presenter did not write the joke himself.
Before the publication of the investigations, Walliams sought an injunction to block reporting, citing concerns regarding his mental health following previous suicide attempts. The reports were released after the deadline for an appeal passed.
Walliams' Response and Fallout
In a statement provided to journalists, Walliams said: “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.” He added: “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.”
On November 10, the former Little Britain star was dropped by his literary agency, Independent Talent Group, in the wake of the allegations, a spokesperson for the company said. Publisher HarperCollins dropped Walliams in December 2025 following an internal investigation into claims of harassment against young women, which he strongly denied. Theme park Alton Towers also permanently closed a themed area dedicated to his children's books earlier this month.
Walliams previously stepped down from his judging role on Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 after apologising for making derogatory comments about contestants during filming breaks in 2020.
