Jonathan Ross horrified by Walliams and Brand allegations
Television host Jonathan Ross expressed horror over sexual misconduct claims involving David Walliams alongside the rape conviction of Russell Brand.
Ross addresses past conduct
Jonathan Ross issued a statement saying he was genuinely unaware of their conduct at the time. He acknowledged a joke made in 2004 about Walliams going home with a 15-year-old as tasteless. Ross submitted the joke to the Comedy Awards script writing team without suspecting actual events. He added that he would not have continued a relationship if he had known of the truth.
Legal and industry fallout
The Guardian and ITV News published reports following a three-year joint investigation after a court rejected Walliams injunction bid. Russell Brand was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in jail for rape and sexual assault on Monday. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called the allegations the latest in a long line of reported abuses of power. Downing Street described the claims as deeply troubling while Walliams Labour party membership has been suspended.
Consequences for Walliams career
Walliams literary agency Independent Talent Group said it was deeply disturbed by the allegations against him. Fremantle UK expressed concern after Walliams served as a judge on Britain's Got Talent from 2012 to 2022. Sky stated that it would cease holding the license for Fing!, a release originally anticipated for next year. While reviewing all content with David Walliams, the BBC will take off certain shows such as Little Britain.
All 2 outlets report consistently
No differences in figures, names or dates across these reports.
- BBC News
- The Guardian
Reported by
2 independent outlets. Headlines as published. Links open the original report.