UK’s Jonathan Ross Says He Was ‘Unaware’ of David Walliams Alleged Abuse as 2004 Joke About 15-Year-Old Resurfaces

British broadcaster Jonathan Ross addressed a resurfaced video of him joking in 2004 about David Walliams “going home” with a 15-year-old, saying he was “genuinely unaware” of the entertainer’s alleged misconduct at the time.Earlier on Tuesday, Walliams, an English comedian and former “Britain’s Got Talent” host, was outed as the mysterious celebrity seeking an injunction to keep allegations of sexual misconduct private for fear that he may harm himself. In the wake of this news, footage from the 2004 Comedy Awards resurfaced, in which Ross, a once-close friend of Walliams, joked: “The Comedy Awards is 15 years old … and like all 15-year-olds, it’s drunk, it’s unpredictable and it’s probably going home with David Walliams.” As speculation grew that Ross knew about Walliams’ alleged misconduct before the the present-day legal battle, the “Jonathan Ross Show” host spoke out, claiming that was far from the truth. “I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation,” Ross wrote in a statement to media, first shared by the Daily Mirror. “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.” Brand, another former friend of Ross’, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on Monday after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in a London criminal trial last week. As Ross went on, he noted that his thoughts were with “the many, many women who have bravely come forward.” “I recognize 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,” he continued. “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.” Jonathan Ross: “The comedy awards is 15 years old… and like most 15-year-olds, it's drunk, it's unpredictable, and it's probably going home with David Walliams.”Everyone knew. Just like they did with Russell Brand. pic.twitter.com/gA9UGXEk5q — James Spiro (@JamesSpiro) November 10, 2026 Per Ross, he now viewed the jab as “a tasteless joke,” one he “would not dream of making today about anyone.” “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,” he concluded. “I also like to think that I would have acted upon that knowledge.” Ross is not the only person to distance himself from Walliams following Tuesday’s scandal, as the comedian has reportedly been cut from his upcoming movie “Fing!” and the BBC removed his show, “Little Britain,” from iPlayer amid the allegations. A representative for Walliams did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.