Comedian Johnny Vegas has faced renewed scrutiny over an account from 18 years ago in which he was accused of kissing and groping a young woman during a performance.

Vegas, now 56, was alleged to have invited the woman, reportedly aged 18 or 19, onto the stage during a show at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre.

Journalist Mary O’Hara wrote at the time that Vegas kissed and groped the woman during the performance, describing the incident as leaving her “disgusted”.

Representatives for Vegas said the scene was consensual audience participation and that the woman had willingly agreed to take part.

Ms O’Hara described the “nervous” young woman being carried onto the stage by six audience members, referred to as “pallbearers”, before being told to lie still.

According to her account, Vegas crouched beside the woman while repeatedly saying, “don’t f***ing move”. She wrote that he then ran his hand up the woman’s leg and began pulling up her skirt.

“Each time he looked up to speak to the audience, she reached down and pulled her skirt back into place, but he continued to pull it up,” she wrote.

Ms O’Hara added that the more the woman was groped, the more anxious one of the “pallbearers” appeared. She alleged that Vegas then straddled the woman, pinning her to the floor, and kissed her for an extended period.

Ms O’Hara said about half the audience laughed along before Vegas asked whether the stage curtain could be lowered.

Vegas, then 55, was alleged to have brought the woman, reportedly aged 18 or 19, onto the stage during a performance at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre, where he was accused of kissing and groping her

Journalist Mary O’Hara wrote that Vegas kissed the woman on stage and described the incident as leaving her “disgusted”

When the curtain was not lowered, comedian Simon Munnery, who had performed earlier, reportedly returned to the stage carrying a coat and used it to shield the pair from view.

The account has resurfaced amid renewed attention on the entertainment industry following Russell Brand’s conviction for rape and sexual assault, as well as an investigation into allegations concerning David Walliams.

After Ms O’Hara’s article was published, Vegas began legal proceedings against its publisher, The Guardian.

The newspaper later amended the article, stating that Vegas’s lawyers had been in contact with the young woman, who reportedly told them she had “gone along with the joke willingly” and had not felt intimidated, frightened or abused.

The performance also prompted complaints on the NOTBBC forum. One attendee wrote that while no subject should necessarily be off-limits in comedy, even when the material was “lazy nonsense”, that principle applied to “words and ideas”.

“Once you’ve got someone pinned down on the stage, it becomes a rather different matter,” the attendee wrote. “I honestly don’t know what to think. Really, did no one else see it?”

Debate over the entertainment industry’s treatment of women intensified this week after Brand, 51, was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison for one count of rape and three sexual assaults.

On Tuesday, The Guardian and ITN published a series of allegations concerning comedian and writer David Walliams.

The allegations, which date back to 2003, include claims that Walliams “groomed” teenagers as young as 15 in an attempt to have sex with them. He denies the allegations and has said he is not a “sexual predator”.

Vegas, who is also an actor, has in recent years stepped back from stand-up comedy to concentrate on other projects.

The Daily Mail has contacted Vegas’s representatives for comment.

Have YOU got a story? Email elizabeth.haigh@dailymail.co.uk

Previously unseen footage appears to show disgraced film star Gérard Depardieu allegedly sexually assaulting a young woman on a film set.

The clip shows the 77-year-old repeatedly touching the intimate areas of a 22-year-old extra, identified by her first name as Olivia.

The footage was recorded during production of Turf, a horse-racing comedy starring Depardieu that was released in 2013.

Olivia, whose account was investigated by Paris-based outlet Mediapart, said: “He put his hand on my buttocks — both of them — for a long time.”

She said he then “put his hand into my cleavage… touching my chest several times” before beginning again from behind.

Olivia said she “tried by every means possible to remove” his hand, but claimed that “he would start again from behind.”

Mediapart reported that, as the alleged assault continued, Olivia realised “her panties were no longer enough to protect her.”

The alleged touching was not part of the script for Turf, in which Depardieu starred. Since 2018, 22 women have accused the actor of sexual violence.

Footage appears to show Gérard Depardieu allegedly assaulting a young woman on a film set

The previously unseen clip appears to show the 77-year-old repeatedly touching a 22-year-old extra identified as Olivia

Depardieu appears to reach towards the woman’s crotch in the video

During that period, Depardieu was charged with rape and convicted of assaulting two women.

French law, unlike British law, allows media organisations to report allegations against a criminal suspect after the person has been indicted.

The video published by Mediapart and Le Média appears to challenge Depardieu’s claim that he has never touched a woman without her consent.

The scene from Turf, directed by Fabien Onteniente, was filmed on November 2, 2011, at Auteuil racecourse on the outskirts of Paris, with around 150 extras involved.

Several witnesses later came forward and supported Olivia’s account. However, no formal action was taken at the time beyond Onteniente speaking to Depardieu “at the end of the day.”

Onteniente, 68, told Mediapart that Olivia approached him “in tears,” prompting him to confront the actor.

“I told him, ‘Don’t you ever do that again. It’s over — I don’t want to deal with any more of your bullshit — behave yourself,’” Onteniente said.

“Do you realise what you’re doing? The camera was at a low angle; what you’re doing is visible. Do you realise the image you’re projecting?”

Twenty-two women have accused Depardieu of sexual violence

Onteniente said the actor appeared “sheepish, acting like a child who’s done something wrong.”

Chez Wam and Pathé, the production companies behind Turf, declined to comment.

On Monday, Depardieu is due to appeal his conviction and suspended prison sentence for assaulting two women on a separate film set.

A major figure in cinema who rose to fame through films including Green Card and The Last Metro, Depardieu received an 18-month suspended sentence, a fine equivalent to £25,000 and an order to join France’s sex offenders register. The penalties relate to his conduct on the set of The Green Shutters (Les Volets Verts) in 2021.

The two women who accused him were an assistant director identified only as Sarah, now 35, and Amélie, a 55-year-old set decorator. Both said they had been repeatedly assaulted by Depardieu during filming.

Depardieu’s lawyer, Jeremy Assous, confirmed that his client was appealing while denying any wrongdoing. The appeal suspends the punishment until a new trial begins in Paris next week.

Assous strongly criticised the verdict and blamed the MeToo movement, which has highlighted alleged sexual abuse by wealthy and influential men.

“From the moment you are accused of sexual assault, you are automatically convicted,” Assous said.

Depardieu is also expected to face trial at a later date over allegations that he raped French actress Charlotte Arnould, 29.

Arnould’s decision to speak publicly prompted numerous other women to report alleged offences by Depardieu, some of which could also reach court.

Two years ago, French President Emmanuel Macron provoked anger after defending Depardieu.

Appearing on a television chat show, Macron said he opposed the actor being subjected to what he called “a manhunt.”