Jim Davidson was cleared of sex offences back in 2013 – but not before he’d spent a terrifying year on bail, fearing he’d never work again. He has now opened up on the eye-opening comments he alleges were made to him by Operation Yewtree officers just seconds before the key turned in the lock of the cell where he was being held.

“The saving grace was, as they put me in the cell, this policeman said to me – I swear to God – ‘Don’t worry, Jim. Your case is not about underage sex, all yours is old slappers.’ The policeman said that!” he exclaimed. Jim never received any charges over the allegations, which stretch back to 35 years before the investigation began.

Jim also commented on Russell Brand – another high profile comedian in the public eye – who was charged by the Metropolitan Police this year. “Whatever I think, I’ll keep to myself,” Jim mused, “but you’ve got to ask yourself, [if] he’s a good-looking guy and the women are all over him, why would he need to sexually assault someone?”

He added: “What he needs to be able to do is defend himself, and the public should realise it’s only an accusation.”

However, he says he’ll have no sympathy if evidence confirms that Russell did commit any offences. “If he’s found guilty, so be it. You do the crime, you do the time,” he declared.

Jim made his comments during a new interview with the Telegraph, in which he claimed that the “woke” culture that had seen him cancelled had ironically become his saving grace.

His controversial jokes aren’t for everyone – and the woke era has seen many offended viewers seek to boycott him.

At his peak, Jim drew in £1 million a year for hosting The Generation Game and half a million a year for his snooker-themed game show Big Break.

However, he was let go from both jobs in 2002, and as a shift in society changed perceptions about what was offensive, his comedy gigs were banned from numerous theatres too.

Despite that, Jim sees the woke movement as both the best and the worst thing that has happened in his career, insisting: “It’s a double-edged weapon.”