Ross says he was unaware of Walliams and Brand’s conduct

Jonathan Ross said he was horrified by allegations of sexual misconduct against David Walliams and Russell Brand’s rape conviction, and expressed support for women who have come forward. Ross said he had once been friendly with both men but was unaware of their conduct at the time.

Ross also addressed a joke he made at a 2004 comedy awards ceremony about Walliams going home with a 15-year-old. He described the joke as tasteless and said it had been submitted by the awards’ scriptwriting team. Ross said he understood the punchline as a reference to Walliams having publicly dated younger women, exaggerated for comic effect.

Ross said he would not have used the joke if he had suspected it referred to actual events, and would not have continued a personal or professional relationship with Walliams. He also said he believed he would have acted on such knowledge. His account is a statement about what he knew at the time.

The comments came as a joint three-year investigation by the Guardian and ITV News reported that several women had accused Walliams of sexual misconduct, including allegations relating to women who were teenagers. One woman described an alleged encounter when she was...