Jonathan Ross

Ooh, I don’t know about that. I remember there being a lot of raised eyebrows at the time. He was out and about with her when he was an established TV star and she was a schoolgirl, and it was definitely noticed and remarked upon.

Totally agree with this. Bill Wyman faced huge criticism in the press and from the public at the time.

You mean it was featured on the cover of a magazine because it was a click bait event which sold copies.

You can't seriously be that rude

Are you criticising the women propping predatory men up or the women calling predatory types out because it seems like you're doing both in the same post.

I posted this on the DW thread. A policeman friend told me over a decade ago that Jonathan Ross would be next to be exposed. I can only assume he's another one with a super-injunction.

I think all of those examples, where one party was still in their teens are problematic. Probably the Stephen Fry one too.

The idea that a 16yo being with a 26yo was normal in those days is absolutely bonkers. I am exactly the same age as his wife. I went on one "date", as a 16yo with a man of 24. My Dad went absolutely wild and the man's friends told them what they thought of him too.

The Mandy Smith thing got a lot of publicity precisely because it was so weird...and becuase her Mother courted publicity. She later married Wyman's son. The whole things was very messed, up and that's what people thought at the time. It sold newspapers is the reason it got publicity, precisely because no-one thought it was normal.

I can't stand him. He has turned my stomach ever since I saw him interview Danni Minogue when she was about 19. He was fawning over her outfit, comparing her to Kylie and said he always prefered Danni because he likes a bit of puppy fat. Who the f does he think he is that he can objectify women like that? She was visibly uncomfortable. He's a lecherous creep.

This thread should be pulled

Good grief, that's a reach. Diana was 20 when they married and he was 32. An age gap like that was nothing like as unacceptable then as it is now. Quite a separate issue from older men making vile jokes about teenagers and turning a blind eye to their friends being serial shaggers and predators of extremely young women and girls.

It's like a witch hunt on this thread. You can dislike a celebrity or think they make inappropriate jokes but that's very different from making serious accusations. People are not automatically guilty by association. Most of the references made here are relating to work colleagues, it's part of working in an industry to mix with people and be public friends especially comedian circles. It means nothing. No doubt there are certain predatory types out there and I hope they are revealed but it's ridiculous to just speculate, not to mention libelous. Many of these predatory type men also had women propping them up and protecting them too. Otherwise they wouldn't get away with it. Delving into people's past and mentioning the age when they met and reading into it is pathetic behaviour IMO and very unhelpful.

Came here to say this. It was very different. I think she might even have been 13 and him 47, and they married the moment she was 'legal'. All the press at the time focussed on her and her being a seductress. Nothing about him being a predator.

Very, very different to 16 and 26 as with Ross and his wife. This was a perfectly normal age gap 40 years ago. My parents were 9 years different in age. I recognise that this is not acceptable to younger generations but it was then.

None of this is to say that I think he is a pleasant man. There is no doubt he can be sleazy and inappropriate. That is not the same as being a rapist. Unfortunately, I fear the culture of sleazy jokes having been acceptable is exactly how Brand got away with with for so long.

Is the age gap itself a problem or the age at which they met?

Stephen Fry's partner was mid-20s when they met, not 16. Tom Daley was 18 when he met his husband who was 18 years older.

Plenty of famous women with partners with the same or even larger age gaps:

Joan Collins is 34 years older than her husband but they've been married 34 years now. Holland Taylor is 32 years older than Sarah Paulson. Cher's current beau is 39 years younger.

Let's not forget Caroline Flack was 32 when she dated 17-year old Harry Styles. Age of consent, yes, but...

I'm not getting this to be honest.

The only fans chat came about because Joe Marler was talking about how much money people can make on there and made a joke about putting his feet out there. Jonathan then asked both others, what they would put out there on only fans if they had the choice. Aisling chose to talk about her boobs. I don't think the question was inappropriate, it was just daft chat. She was the one who started the boob chat and she went too far with it.

I'm not sure what asking people what they would put out on only fans, as part of an entertainment chat show is inappropriate.

Am I totally missing something. Correct me if I am wrong. I honestly am not getting it.

No, you absolutely don't need solid evidence. If you have any concerns, especially about the treatment of children, it is your duty to report. You don't need evidence to report it, that's what the subsequent investigation is for.

No, I'm pretty sure it was in the late 20th Century.

I suppose he has remained employed as his ratings are good. His audience are part of that.

No one suggesring he should be in jail or even that he's done anyhting illegal, only that his behaviour has been questionable over many years, and it's a surprise to some that he has remained employed.

Jeez - it wasn't normalised! It was very, very unusual.

I always think that when people hold up a long marriage as a success. It might be or it could be that she was unabe to leave or intrall to her "captor"

Maybe he didn't actually think they were rapists (RB) not noel fielding. People make all sorts of inappropriate jokes fgs.

If you suspect someone of rape you need to have very solid evidence to report to the police/try and limit their career.

Your criticism is fair enough if he knew brand was a rapist/predator but possibly he didn't know.