Jonathan Ross says he is horrified by David Walliams allegations

Jonathan Ross has said he is horrified by the sexual misconduct allegations against David Walliams and by the crimes of Russell Brand. In a statement, Ross said he had once been on friendly terms with both men but was genuinely unaware of their conduct. Channel 4 reported that he said his thoughts were with the many women who had come forward and that Brand had been sentenced for rape and sexual assault.

Ross was responding after a 2004 awards ceremony joke resurfaced. In the routine, he said a 15-year-old was probably going home with David Walliams. Ross said he did not write the joke and called it tasteless, saying he had assumed it referred to Walliams' public dating of younger women, exaggerated for comic effect. Channel 4 reported that the joke had been submitted to Ross by a writing team.

The joke resurfaced as part of a joint ITV News and The Guardian investigation. The BBC reported that two women alleged Walliams groomed them for sex when they were 15. Channel 5 reported that one woman alleged grooming and another alleged sexual assault, while Channel 4 reported allegations that he sexually assaulted one 15-year-old girl and groomed another before having sex with her when she was 17. Channel 4 also reported allegations that he sexually harassed junior colleagues. Walliams denies the allegations and says he has not broken the law.

Channel 5 reported that in a letter to journalists Walliams wrote that he was not a sexual predator and had not broken the law. He said he had sometimes behaved thoughtlessly in casual sexual relationships. He wrote that a power imbalance was inevitable when one party is famous but that abusing it was something he never did, and that he was devastated some women had expressed hurt or anger towards him.

The BBC reported that a woman who helped arrange author visits to schools said she was warned about a decade ago not to invite Walliams. She said she had already heard rumours and that there had been concerns about his behaviour around young female staff. The BBC also reported that HarperCollins dropped Walliams last year after an investigation into his behaviour, that Fremantle said it had received no complaints, and that the BBC was not currently aware of any sexual misconduct complaints involving him.

Channel 5 reported that the comedian Lucy Beaumont told journalists she had spoken to them for the investigation. Beaumont said a TV crew member had confided that part of their job was taking young women to Walliams' dressing room. She said she had tried to reach out to one alleged young woman and offered to cover legal fees over a non-disclosure agreement, and called for better safeguarding in the industry. Channel 5 also reported that Walliams had been dropped by his literary agency and that the BBC was reviewing programmes featuring him.

Channel 4 reported that Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for tackling violence against women and girls, described a pattern of behaviour that needed to change and said the allegations should be a watershed moment for the entertainment industry. BBC News and BBC One West reported that entertainment bosses would meet the government, which is calling for more action on sexual misconduct allegations.

Channel 4 reported that the comedian Eloise Eftos said she had suffered harassment by a male colleague and that seeing men held accountable felt like victory. Channel 4 also reported that the case raised questions about gaps in the law on grooming and the age of consent. It reported a proposal for a staggered age of consent that would make it an offence for someone aged 20 or over to have sexual activity with a 16 or 17-year-old unless the age gap is no greater than three years.