In the footage, Mr Ross joked: “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.”
In his statement, Mr Ross said he was “horrified by the revelations” about Mr Walliams and the crimes of Brand. He added that “there was a time in my life when I was on friendly terms with both men” but insisted he was “unaware” of Walliams’ alleged conduct and Brand’s criminal behaviour.
After saying his thoughts were with the “many, many women who bravely came forward”, he turned to the comedy awards footage. Mr Ross continued: “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 that 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.