Ulrika rape claim - man should deny it, says Clifford

PR guru Max Clifford said today he had spoken to the man who allegedly raped Ulrika Jonsson and urged him to publicly deny the claims.

Clifford said he had a telephone conversation with the TV presenter this morning in which he advised him to reveal his identity and clear his name.

Jonsson claims in her autobiography that she was the victim of a date rape in 1998 but has not named the man responsible.

Clifford told PA News: “I had a conversation with him on the phone this morning. He denied that it was true and asked my advice.

“I told him that if he were one of my clients – which he isn’t – I would say that ‘no comment’ doesn’t sound very good at all.

“From a PR perspective, ‘no comment’ sounds like an admission of guilt.”

Clifford said the identity of the alleged attacker was widely known in showbusiness circles and the rumours could damage his career.

“While the public might not know his name, in the industry it’s becoming known by more and more people. He has a career to think about and this is potentially very damaging.”

He added: “This will affect whether people want to work with him and I think there are going to be various discussions going on with his employers about this.

“There is a cloud hanging over him. I don’t think he’s going to take my advice but if someone were to accuse me of rape I would either find it hysterically funny because it was so ridiculous or feel angry and indignant and want to deny it.”