Kelly tackles comedian over sex abuse 'jokes'

Matthew Kelly has challenged comedian Frank Skinner for making jokes about him on TV when he was arrested on child sex abuse charges earlier this year.

The former Stars in Your Eyes presenter asked the funnyman in an interview on ITV1’s The Frank Skinner Show, whether he was, “proud of gags” which he and fellow comedian David Baddiel had made on their show at the time of Kelly’s arrest.

“You and David Baddiel did a show and you did some pretty horrible gags about me,” he told the comedian.

Skinner attempted to make a joke out of the interview and Kelly forced a smile but his anger was apparent throughout the interview.

“Would you do it now with me sitting here,” he said. “Are you that proud of those gags.”

He continued: “If you really thought about what you’d done, you wouldn’t have done it.”

Skinner attempted to make light of Kelly’s challenges, “To do a topical comedy show and not talk about it would have been bizarre,” he retorted. “They were jokes. It’s my job Matthew.

“There was no malice but if you take umbrage and hate me there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Kelly was arrested in Birmingham in January over an allegation of sexual abuse in the 1970s which the star strenuously denied.

But the following month Surrey Police said they were taking no further action because there was no evidence to proceed against him.