Kate Garraway has been criticised by Good Morning Britain viewers after describing her friend Jonathan Ross as 'brave' for publicly distancing himself from David Walliams and Russell Brand.
asserted
Garraway → criticise → Walliams
During a heated discussion on today's programme, the GMB panel examined Ross's statement in which he apologised for a joke he made about Walliams going home with 15-year-olds.
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Walliams → examine → olds
Ross insisted he had been 'genuinely unaware' of allegations against both men and blamed the controversial gag on a scriptwriter at the British Comedy Awards.
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he → insist → Awards
'Had I had any reason to suspect that it might be referring to actual events, I would not only have refused to use it,' he said.
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he → have → it
Today there were claims that Ross was close enough to Russell Brand to allow the now-disgraced comedian to stay at his holiday home after he split from Katy Perry.
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he → be → Perry
Ms Garraway, who became friends with Ross while appearing alongside him on Celebrity Traitors in 2025, defended his decision to publicly distance himself from Brand and Walliams.
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who → become → Brand
The GMB host said: 'I think he has been rather brave about coming out and saying this.'
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he → say → this
Viewers immediately took to social media to criticise her choice of the word 'brave.'
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Viewers → take → word
GMB guest Ayesha Hazarika also argued it was 'nonsense' to suggest people in their social and professional circle could have been unaware of concerns about their behaviour citing an exchange during The Big Fat Quiz of the Year in 2007.
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people → argue → 2007
Kate Garraway has been criticised for defending 'brave' Jonathan Ross in a heated row over his relationship with David Walliams and Russell Brand on GMB today
Ms
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Garraway → criticise → GMB
Garraway became close friends with Ross while appearing alongside him on Celebrity Traitors in 2025
During a discussion on the show, the panel discussed Ross's apology for a historical joke he had made about Walliams going home with 15-year-olds
Ross, pictured arriving at a party with Brand in 2010, has said he is 'horrified' by allegations of sexual misconduct against Walliams and Brand's rape conviction
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he → become → Walliams
During the programme, Ross remarked to host Jimmy Carr: 'You've put the only attractive young lady near two of the best-known c***smen in the business.
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You → remark → business
I'm going to move over here.
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I → go → ?
And then Lily might go home with her dress still on.'
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dress → go → ?
Noel Fielding replied: 'How dare you, we're not rapists.'
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we → reply → ?
Brand responded: 'What if, horror of horrors, he ain't even done a rape.
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he → respond → rape
You could ruin his career.
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You → ruin → career
Have you done a rape?'
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you → do → rape
Addressing Ms Garraway's comments, Hazarika said: 'They were part of a culture where it was just hilarious to joke about doing something to a woman, a woman who's there with you.
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who → address → you
Viewers largely agreed on social media, with several suggesting Ms Garraway's description of Ross as 'brave' was misplaced.
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description → agree → Ross
Walliams has been accused of sexual misconduct, including grooming teenage girls as young as 15 and abusing his position to pursue women.
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Walliams → accuse → women
He denies all allegations and any criminal wrongdoing.
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He → deny → allegations
One woman alleges Walliams groomed and sexually assaulted her after they met when she was 15.
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she → allege → her
Another claims he first contacted her when she was 15 after meeting at a Little Britain event, with their relationship becoming sexual when she was 17.
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she → claim → event
In a statement on Wednesday, Ross, 65, said he was 'as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation'.
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he → say → nation
The presenter, who was previously friends with both men, said he had been 'genuinely unaware' of their alleged conduct and insisted he would have acted had he known.
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he → say → conduct
Ross said on Tuesday that he was 'horrified' by allegations of sexual misconduct against Walliams and Brand's rape conviction.
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he → say → Walliams
Brand was sentenced to more than ten years in prison on Monday after he was found guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court.
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he → sentence → Court
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.
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Walliams → accuse → Guardian
He has denied any criminal wrongdoing and said he is 'not a sexual predator'.
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he → deny → wrongdoing
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.
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he → issue → 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!
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Awards → show → audience
And like most 15-year-olds, it's drunk, it's unpredictable and it's probably going home with David Walliams.'
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it → go → Walliams
Ross described the joke as 'tasteless' but said he did not write it himself.
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he → describe → it
He said in a statement: '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.
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Walliams → say → 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.
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he → submit → effect
It is also a tasteless joke that I would not dream of making today about anyone, but that is beside the point.
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that → dream → 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.
uncertain
I → have → him
I also like to think that I would have acted upon that knowledge.'
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I → like → knowledge
Throughout the 2010s, Walliams was also a regular guest at Ross's Halloween parties, hosted at his house in north-west London.
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Walliams → host → London
…and 46 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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