'Are you proud of yourself?'

Kelly clashes with Skinner over abuse gags

Matthew Kelly has challenged Frank Skinner for making jokes about his arrest for alleged child sex abuse.

Kelly angrily asked the comic if he was proud of the gags when appeared on Skinner's ITV1 chat show

"You and David Baddiel did a show and you did some pretty horrible gags about me," Kelly said. "Would you do it now with me sitting here? Are you that proud of those gags?"

Skinner tried to make light of the situation, and Kelly forced a smile, but the tension was obvious.

The comedian explained the jokes by saying: "To do a topical comedy show and not talk about it would have been bizarre.

"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 Seventies.

He strenuously denied the claims and the following month, police announced they were taking no further action as there was no evidence to proceed against him.

Kelly told Skinner: "I have been told I will never find out what happened. But I'd like to. It would help me a lot.

"The most important thing in your life is your name. And if you don't have a name, you don't have anything."

Published: 28 Oct 2003

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