Jonathan Ross's 'friendship' with David Walliams and rapist Russell Brand as he releases statement saying he was 'genuinely unaware of their conduct'

Partying at VIP events together and dining at restaurants in Mayfair, Jonathan Ross was a familiar presence alongside David Walliams and Russell Brand at the height of their fame. What began with a series of joint television appearances soon developed into friendships that extended beyond the screen, with Ross repeatedly finding himself at the centre of controversy over disturbing 'jokes' and lewd behaviour.Walliams and Brand were also regularly invited as guests onto The Jonathan Ross Show, where they spoke candidly about their private and professional lives. Last night, Ross said he was 'horrified' by allegations of sexual misconduct against Walliams and the rape conviction of Brand.Brand was sentenced to more than ten years in prison on Monday after he was convicted of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court. Meanwhile, Walliams has been accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and preying on multiple teenagers in an investigation by The Guardian and ITV.Walliams denies the allegations and has not been charged with any offences. In a statement issued after footage resurfaced of him joking about 15-year-olds 'going home with David Walliams', Ross said that while he had once been 'on friendly terms with both men', he was 'genuinely unaware of their conduct' at the time.The clip, from the British Comedy Awards in 2004, showed Ross telling 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.'Ross described the joke as 'tasteless' but said he did not write it himself. Russell Brand, Noel Gallagher and Jonathan Ross attend The Hoping Foundation's 'Rock On' benefit evening for Palestinian refugee children in 2013 Ross and Walliams appear together on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2018 Ross (pictured with Brand) has said he is s 'horrified' by allegations of sexual misconductThroughout the 2010s, Walliams was also a regular guest at Ross's Halloween parties, hosted at his house in northwest London.At the event in 2017, Walliams caused controversy and was accused of being racist for dressing as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The comedian donned a black suit, complete with red lapel pins portraying previous rulers, while he also appeared to have changed his skin tone. Meanwhile in 2024, Ross and Walliams were photographed together after a dinner out at Scott's Restaurant in London's Mayfair.The pair looked relaxed as they posed for pictures together in smart attire. Walliams, who is one of the country's best selling children's authors and was awarded an OBE, has also been a regular guest on Ross's TV chat shows. In December 2016, he appeared on the Jonathan Ross Christmas Special, when he revealed his friend Kylie Minogue had turned him down for a date. Walliams starred again on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2024, where he discussed meeting Tom Cruise with his son, as well as a proposed new project with Matt Lucas.Meanwhile, Ross became close to Brand, who was last week convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, in the late 2000s.The disgraced comedian appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in May 2006 and the following year they both starred on Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz of the Year. Seth Rogen, Jonathan Ross, David Walliams and Michael Buble appear on 'The Jonathan Ross Show' in 2011 Footage has surfaced from the British Comedy Awards in 2004 when Ross made a joke about 15-year-olds 'going home with David Walliams Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross attended high profile events together In a minute-long clip from the show host Jimmy Carr can be seen welcoming Rob Brydon, David Mitchell, Jonathan Ross, Fielding and Brand onto the show, alongside Ms Allen – the only female guest appearing on the show.Ross looks at Brand and Fielding, who is not facing any allegations of inappropriate behaviour, as he tells Carr: 'I'm a bit concerned because look where you've put us.'You've put the only sexually attractive young lady – well, the only young lady full stop, she happens to be very attractive as well – near two of the best known c***smen of the business.''I'm going to insist as a sort of uncle figure in Lily's life that she moves over there because obviously that's the sexless zone,' Ross continues, pointing to Brydon and Mitchell.Then in 2008, both Ross and Brand's careers nearly imploded after they made a series of lewd jokes to Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs on their BBC Radio 2 show.In a scandal later dubbed 'Sachsgate', they left shocking voicemails to the actor about Brand's relationship with Sachs's 23-year-old granddaughter, Georgina Baillie, after he failed to appear for an interview on their show.At one point, Ross shouted: 'He f***ed your granddaughter!'After a wave of complaints and a £150,000 fine to the BBC, Brand left the station and moved to the US, while Ross was suspended from the Corporation for 12 weeks.The following year, the pair appeared on radio together.Ross said he wanted to do a 'big show' with Brand, and joked that the two of them will 'rule the world one day'.Then in 2013, the pair were reunited on television for the first time since the 'Sachsgate' scandal, with Brand appearing on Ross's ITV1 chat show. Russell Brand hugs Jonathan Ross as they appeared on his chat show together in 2018 In 2017, the best-selling children's author caused controversy and was branded as racist for dressing as Kim Jong-un at one of Jonathan Ross's Halloween partiesRoss told how the incident had been a bonding experience for the two of them – and had been a 'genuinely nice thing', which had resulted from the controversy.'Russell and I went through an unusual experience together and even though we're both embarrassed by what we did, that's fair enough - but at the same time, the only genuinely nice thing that came out of it for me was the fact that we became very close,' he said.Ross's full statement last night reads: '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.'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. I realise I did not always take people's feelings properly into account. That is something 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.'I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law. I am devastated that some of the women I met ten to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.'Ross's representatives have been contacted for further comment.