David Walliams, Russell Brand Joked About Hiding Behind Gay Personas Years Before Scandals
David Walliams & Russell Brand We Joked About Being Gay as a Cover ... Before Our Sex Scandals
Published
David Walliams and Russell Brand once joked about pretending to be gay to throw people off ... and the 20-year-old clip is resurfacing now that both comedians are at the center of major sex scandals.
The footage comes from the 2006 debut of "The Russell Brand Show" on Channel 4 ... where Walliams appeared alongside his "Little Britain" co-star Matt Lucas.
The two playfully leaned in for a kiss as Brand welcomed Walliams to the show ... teasing the audience before actually sharing a quick peck.
Then, during the conversation, Lucas joked that Walliams and Brand were "the two gayest straight blokes" ... prompting Walliams to respond, "Isn't it a wonderful smokescreen?"
Brand jumped right in, adding ... "Isn't it glorious? It works wonderfully well."
The exchange got laughs at the time ... but it's now making the rounds on social media as both men face serious scrutiny over their past behavior.
As TMZ previously reported ... Walliams was unmasked Tuesday as the mystery British celebrity who fought to keep his identity secret amid sexual misconduct allegations involving women who say he pursued them as teenagers.
Meanwhile, Brand was sentenced Monday to 10 years and 6 months in prison after being convicted of rape and sexual assault.
Walliams has denied wrongdoing, insisting he's not a sexual predator and hasn't broken the law ... while Brand is planning to appeal his conviction.
