Jonathan Ross releases statement regarding resurfaced David Walliams joke, amid allegations

Jonathan Ross has addressed an uncomfortable moment from his television career after an old clip of him joking about David Walliams and a 15-year-old resurfaced online.

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The footage dates back to the 2004 British Comedy Awards, where Ross made a joke about the Little Britain comedian that has taken on a very different context following the allegations now being reported about him.

During the ceremony, Ross told the audience: “The comedy awards is 15 years old, 15 years old! And like most 15-year-olds, it’s drunk, it’s unpredictable, and it’s probably going home with David Walliams.”

Jonathan Ross.”I didn’t write the ‘joke’ about David Walliams and 15 year olds.” Here’s the thing Johnny. It wasn’t a joke. Any attempt to make light of such a serious subject is disgusting. #BBCBreakfast #GMB #r4today https://t.co/BDaLkXgoyV

— Alethea Bernard (@Tush27J) November 11, 2026

The clip has started circulating again after Walliams was identified as the celebrity at the centre of an investigation by The Guardian and ITV News. The reports detail allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour and grooming. Walliams had previously been referred to as a ‘well-known celebrity’ after an attempt to secure an injunction preventing the allegations from being reported was unsuccessful.

Walliams has strongly denied the claims. His legal representatives told The Guardian that he “never engaged in grooming young women”, denied any sexual contact with the 15-year-old mentioned in the investigation and described “allegations of serious criminal conduct are false”.

Ross has now responded to the renewed attention surrounding his old joke, revealing that it wasn’t something he came up with himself. 

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In a statement, Ross said he was horrified by the allegations against Walliams, as well as those involving Russell Brand, who was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being convicted of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

He said: “I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the 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.

“My thoughts are with the many, many women who have bravely come forward.

“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.

“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.

“It is also a tasteless joke that I would not dream of making today about anyone, but that is beside the point. 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. I also like to think that I would have acted upon that knowledge.”

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Featured image via Brian J Ritchie/Hotsauce/Shutterstock