How it unfolded: The day David Walliams was unmasked as the celebrity trying to hush up claims he preyed on teenagers

Jonathan Ross has tonight issued a statement saying he is 'horrified' by the claims made against David Walliams and the crimes committed by Russell Brand.

He has also addressed the 'deeply shocking' footage of him joking about 15-year-old's 'going home with David Walliams'.

Walliams, who is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and preying on multiple teenagers, was seen throwing his head back in laughter at the remark on national TV.

Mr Ross made the joke at the British Comedy Awards in 2004, when Little Britain – which Walliams created and starred in alongside Matt Lucas – was awarded Best TV Comedy.

Read Ross's full statement here:

'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.'