Jonathan Ross has issued a statement saying he was 'horrified' about David Walliams and the crimes of rapist Russell Brand, while maintaining he was 'genuinely unaware' of the Little Britain star's alleged conduct. Ross also claimed that the joke he made at the 2004 British Comedy Awards was 'written by the script writing team', not by him.
At the awards ceremony in 2004, Ross stood on stage and said: 'And like most 15-year-olds, it's drunk, it's unpredictable, and it's probably going home with David Walliams'. The camera panned to Walliams, who grinned and put up two fingers in response. The crowd around him laughed loudly. Next to Walliams, his comedy co-star Matt Lucas smiled, and behind him, Angus Deayton looked on. Next to him, a surprised Sarah Alexander stared at Walliams as he chuckled.
Allegations Against Walliams
Now, more than 20 years on, Walliams has been accused of assault, and one victim has claimed he groomed her from as young as 15. ITV and The Guardian published a joint investigation into Walliams, which claims he has harassed women in the workplace and his fans for over a decade. Walliams denies the allegations.
Ross's statement of regret this week doesn't do nearly enough, according to the author of this piece. Whether rumours about Walliams' preference or alleged criminal behaviour had reached Ross or not, there's never any excuse for joking about sexually assaulting underage girls.
Cultural Problem in Entertainment
Allegations about Walliams were an open secret in the publishing and TV industries, and whether Ross had heard them in advance of his 2004 joke, the fact it was written should have given him pause. Walliams denies any criminal behaviour, but entertainment in general has had more than its fair share of scandal, and that should be cause for Ross to have more introspection than his half-hearted statement suggests.
Just last week, Russell Brand was convicted of rape and assault against women, with many more allegations being investigated. After Brand was sentenced, a prank call made by the comedian and Ross to actor Andrew Sachs on a BBC radio show in 2008 resurfaced. On the show, Ross yelled 'he f****ed your granddaughter' into Sachs' answering machine. The duo were suspended and the BBC issued an apology.
Male Silence and Harassment
The author of the piece argues that there is a cultural problem, noting that many conversations around these horrific cases are not just about why these men in power believe they can do what they want, expecting no consequence, but also how those around them could let them get away with it. The author states that rarely have they experienced a man stand up to another man – if confronted, they either feign ignorance, or claim 'it's just a joke'.
The author recounts being sexually harassed by their boss as a teenager, and when they found out that he had been taken to HR for assault on another young co-worker, it was revealed as a 'known issue', but no one did anything about it. The men they worked with said and did nothing, while the women protected each other.
Powerful men are now being arrested, charged and sent to jail, but the author notes that one thing we aren't seeing is men, like Jonathan Ross, standing up to, or even gently questioning, the men in their industry. They need to do better.
