Jonathan Ross has said he is 'horrified' by the allegations made against David Walliams - and addressed the 'deeply shocking' joke he made about the comedian 'going home with 15-year-olds'.
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comedian → say → olds
Ross made the remark at the British Comedy Awards in 2004, when Little Britain – which Walliams created and starred in alongside Matt Lucas – was awarded Best TV Comedy.
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Walliams → make → Lucas
'The comedy awards is 15 years old – 15 years old!' Ross told the audience.
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Ross → tell → audience
'And like most 15-year-olds, it's drunk, it's unpredictable and it's probably going home with David Walliams.'
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it → go → Walliams
Walliams, who is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and preying on multiple teenagers, was seen throwing his head back in laughter at the joke on national TV.
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who → accuse → TV
After the clip resurfaced on Tuesday - hours after Walliams was named as the celebrity who sought an injunction to prevent publication of the claims against him - Ross issued a statement saying he was 'horrified' by the allegations.
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he → resurface → allegations
He also addressed the crimes of Russell Brand, who was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison at Southwark Crown Court on Monday for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
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who → address → others
Ross said: 'I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation.
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I → say → 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.
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I → be → conduct
Jonathan Ross made the joke at the British Comedy Awards in December 2004, when Little Britain – which David Walliams created and starred in – was awarded Best TV Comedy
David Walliams, who was on Tuesday unmasked as the celebrity who tried to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct, was filmed laughing at the remark
'
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who → make → remark
My thoughts are with the many, many women who have bravely come forward.
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who → come → women
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.
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Walliams → recognise → old
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.
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he → submit → effect
It is also a tasteless joke that I would not dream of making today about anyone, but that is beside the point.'
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that → dream → point
Ross added: '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.
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I → add → him
I also like to think that I would have acted upon that knowledge.'
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I → like → knowledge
Walliams is accused of 'abusing his status' on Little Britain and Britain's Got Talent (BGT) and engaging in 'inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities' with 'a large number' of young women and girls.
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Walliams → accuse → women
He denies any wrongdoing and told the High Court he would kill himself if his identity was revealed.
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identity → deny → himself
It came 24 hours after Brand was jailed for rape.
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Brand → come → rape
On Tuesday afternoon, Downing Street said allegations of sexual misconduct made by multiple women against Walliams were 'deeply troubling' and the Government is 'concerned' about the use of injunctions.
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Government → say → injunctions
Labour has suspended him as a party member, it later emerged.
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it → suspend → member
Walliams, pictured last month, is accused of abusing his status to target girls and young women.
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Walliams → picture → girls
He denies the claims
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He → deny → claims
One accuser, named as Jade by ITV News and The Guardian, alleges she was sexually assaulted by Walliams when she was 15 after he contacted her online.
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he → name → her
Jade claims they met in Soho before he drove her to his home in his Aston Martin.
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he → claim → Martin
She alleges Walliams sexually assaulted her at Supernova Heights, the mansion once owned by Oasis star Noel Gallagher.
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Walliams → allege → Gallagher
'He asked me to come over and gave me a hug.
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He → ask → hug
That's when he kissed me,' Jade alleged of Walliams, who was 36 at the time.
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who → kiss → time
'He lifted my top up and sucked on my breast and then tried to put my hand down his trousers.
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He → lift → trousers
That's when I pulled away and said, "No".
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I → pull → ?
He had an erection at the time,' she said.
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she → have → time
I didn't want to do that, with him or with anyone.
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I → want → anyone
I didn't want to be touched in that way at all.
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I → want → way
I mean, I was only 15.
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I → mean → ?
She claimed she had already confided in him that she had previously been sexually abused by someone else as a child, to which he responded: 'Sorry to hear that.'
In a statement to ITV News and The Guardian, Walliams said: 'Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with.
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I → claim → relationships
I realise I did not always take people's feelings properly into account.
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I → realise → account
That is something I regret.
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I → regret → ?
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.
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I → abuse → that
I have not broken the law.
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I → break → law
I am devastated that some of the women I met ten to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.'
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I → devastate → me
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