Jonathan Ross Horrified by David Walliams Misconduct Allegations and Russell Brand Conviction
Television presenter Jonathan Ross said that he is horrified by sexual misconduct allegations against David Walliams and the rape conviction of Russell Brand.
In a statement reported by BBC News, Ross said he was once on friendly terms with both men but remained genuinely unaware of their conduct at the time. ITV News and The Guardian published joint investigative reports on Tuesday detailing sexual misconduct allegations against Walliams from several women. Walliams denies all allegations against him, while Brand has been convicted of rape.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy described the allegations against Walliams as the latest in a long line of reported abuses of power in an industry.
Ross also addressed a joke he made at a comedy awards show in 2004, in which the punchline suggested Walliams would be “going home” with a 15-year-old; he described the quip as “tasteless”.
Four years work, some of it under tortuous legal and moral threat – a powerful investigation into David Walliams by The Guardian and ITV News, written in part by brilliant friends of the CIJ Maeve McClenaghan, Imogen Barrer, Amanda Nunn and Sirin Kale. https://t.co/UL15B9D8aM…
The Guardian and ITV News published their findings following a three-year joint investigation. The publication was delayed after Walliams launched a legal challenge to prevent the claims from becoming public. Justice Matthew Nicklin ultimately rejected an injunction request last week, allowing the protection of his identity to expire.
In a letter to the news organizations, Walliams denied that he is a sexual predator or that he broke the law.
Angel Studios removed Walliams from an upcoming release based on his children’s book, dropping his cameo appearance and excluding him from marketing, as reported by Variety. The U.K. distributor Sky also removed the feature from its slate entirely, according to Variety. Meanwhile, the BBC removed sketch comedy programs associated with Walliams from its streaming platforms.
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The @itvnews investigation which David Walliams tried to stop in the courts. Watch here 👇 https://t.co/jvXQEwPPQW
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Many have been asking for a link to my interview with comedian Lucy Beaumont about the #Walliams allegations (which he denies). Here it is:https://t.co/dF0vrnb76i