Jonathan Ross

I entirely agree. Jonathan Ross’s wife left school at 15, and was working full time when they met. Her life experience was very different from a 16 year old now, particularly a lot of the pampered ones of MN parents.

'Children' can still enlist in the Army at 16 and get paid whilst attending foundation college. Albeit they now need parental permission to do it. My husband joined at 16, went to Welbeck and was then sponsored through uni. Those 5 years all count as pensionable service.

So when Alan Bennett wrote of a similar scenario in his play The History Boys, was he ripping off his protege?

I have always thought JR was a filthy bastard and was sickened when he took over the Film programme from the lovely Barry Norman.

I think he's perfectly lovely. Someone I'd enjoy talking to, and self deprecating, which more attractive to me than the over confident more burly men many women seem to favour.

Yes. For me attraction is founded in personality, decency and intelligence.

David Mitchell attractive!?!

Back in the 1970s, people would have been astounded to hear 16yos referred to as children. Minors, yes, but very much on the verge of adulthood and treated as such, with a lot of independence and resilience expected, and not much of a safety net for those who couldn't cope, sadly. Very few kids stayed at school beyond that age. Of those that did stay on, an even smaller number went on to university, polytechnic or some sort of professional training, and those of us who did get that opportunity were treated as fully adult. No adults at university open days, no expectation that parents would be involved in our lives at all beyond (if we were lucky) a financial contribution to top up the maintenance grant. Lots left with no qualifications. I don't know if most had jobs in their early teens, but lots of my schoolmates had Saturday and holiday jobs then, as I did. Nobody bothered much about 16yos going to pubs or 18 films. As we have seen on this thread, it was widely accepted that 16yos could be sexually active and some of them ended up married. I may be wrong, but I think you could join the armed forces at 16.

I honestly think those of you who were 16 far more recently have little concept of how infantilised teenagers are now by comparison with all previous generations. I'm absolutely not saying that it's a great idea for 16yos to get married, but plenty of us have formed extremely successful long-term relationships at not much older than that (I did myself, 6 year age gap, we've been married for 44 years).

100%

I didn’t know that either!

I wouldn't consider myself a 'fuddy duddy' but in my opinion Rob Brydon and David Mitchell are much more attractive men than RB and NF.

Well, I didn't know that.

I am old and have always been a fuddy duddy. I saw that clip the other day and thought it was awful. I am also baffled by the idea that NF and RB were sexually appealing. Clearly some women disagree with me, and I know I am not the right age or the right personality type but I'd rather have been celibate for my entire life than have to spend ten seconds with RB. Skin-crawlingly nasty. Don't find NF even slightly attractive. The intelligent, funny, genuinely talented self-deprecating decent men, on the other hand - and obviously in this context I mean David Mitchell and Rob Brydon - very, very attractive. Surely I'm not alone in reacting this way?

There’s footage of Stephen fry resurfacing being quite unpleasant about child sexual abuse survivors. I think unless you’re a squeaky clean individual in the public eye it’s must be a very worrying time.

Good.

@Redbags my husband is my age (both late 30s) but when I was 16 I dated a 24 year old and at 18 I dated a 32 year old.

I didn't sleep with either of them, but likely would have with the man I dated at 18 if we'd have been together a bit longer. It was absolutely common in the circle I was in at the time (rock scene, bands etc) and one couple are still together now, several were long term relationships. I'm not even saying it's "ok" but it was absolutely a common thing in lots of circles back then.

Oh come off it. It's clearly written for his persona, based on who he is.

He's a massive creep, never got the hype.

You haven't been able to marry at 16, with or without parental consent, in England and Wales since 2023.

In England you need parental consent to marry at 16 which is why people went over the border to elope at Gretna Green where you don’t.

More sexually appealing? NF and RB?? 😝

I’ve posted this on a couple of previous threads and I’ll preface it by saying it’s very obvious anecdotal and well … gossip?

I worked for a media company years ago. In London. I can remember a time when one of our journalists went to JRs house, no idea why now. Linked to parties he would throw but I honestly can’t recall the details

anyway he came back to the office FULL of stories about JR but what stuck with us all was the tale of snuff movies that JR apparently had. I’m sure he wasn’t openly watching them or anything like that and err aren’t they an urban myth? - but regardless, I’ve heard from what I’d say is a reliable source , a link between JR and really gross content

again, will end by saying it’s just something I was told and annoyingly I can’t fill in further details but JR next?

probably

Whether marrying a 16 year old is moral or not it is completely legal in the UK for 16 year olds to have sex and marry. Yes it can be sleazy but there is nothing illegal about it unless the older person is in a position of responsibility eg teacher.

Seriously I am not seeing what you think you are seeing. The Only Fans question was a joke which was asked of all three guests and Aisling Bea clearly used it as a jumping off point for a little routine (which she had probably written pre the show). No one was disgusted or offended and it wasn't sleazy. Hate the man if you want but stop lying about things you think he has done.

I'm sure there are people who worked with Walliams and saw nothing untoward, we know Jonathan Ross (and his script writer) wasn't one of them because he told us.

And whilst it may well be that lots of people couldn't have spoken up, Jonathan Ross was absolutely someone who could have used his position to do so.

Because you have to be thick to not understand the fact that there is a difference between a 20 year old and a 30 year old who are both adults compared to a 16 year old and a 26 year old where one is a child by law and one is an adult

You disagree with me, that's fine. You started your post by calling me thick. That's rude.

ETA I see it's now been deleted! Not at my request, I'm happy for people to see how you engage with others.

I don't know - maybe he did, but who would have taken it seriously at the time? I recall lots of people making jokes about "burying X under the patio" when that same storyline was happening in Brookside decades ago.

My point is there is a often a jump to say "they must have known" about X or Y or Z and that "everyone is responsible" when there will have been people who worked with X or Y or Z who genuinely saw or heard nothing untoward. Guilt by association isn't always fair. Many rapist's or murderer's wives are totally shocked to discover the truth, after all.

None of which means Ross and others aren't a sleaze.