U.K. NEWS:

BOURNEMOUTH: Embattled British entertainer, David Walliams, has begun his latest and longest-ever long-distance swim for charity.

Walliams, who is facing serious allegations of sexual misconduct including the grooming, exploitation, and sexual assault of minors, denied the swim was a publicity stunt to rehabilitate his public image.

“I totally reject all the allegations being made against me,” he said as he waded into the water at a beach near the English Channel port of Bournemouth with several large steamer trunks strapped to his back. (main picture)

“I’m once again undertaking a physically gruelling – in fact the most gruelling – swim I’ve ever undertaken and I wouldn’t be doing this just for selfish reasons such as trying to burnish my personal Brand, err … I mean brand.”

Mr Walliams cut off questions from reporters asking about the allegations made against him.

“I’m not going to talk about those claims here today,” he said. “If you wish to quiz me about them I suggest you get yourself to Mogadishu and ask me about them there when I complete my swim.”

Under further questioning, Mr Walliams confirmed his swim would take him from Bournemouth to the coastal capital of the poor and highly unstable north-east African nation of Somalia.

“I’m not quite sure yet if I’ll swim just the 6,000 nautical miles if I hang a left at Portugal and go via the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal,” he explained. “The alternative is to swim about 10,000 nautical miles around the Cape of Good Hope.

“I’ll make my mind up when I get to the waters off Lisbon in about a fortnight,” Mr Walliams said.

As he made his first few strokes, almost submerged by the weight of the luggage on his back, Mr Walliams was asked what specific charity would be receiving any funds raised by his latest swim.

“Oh, it’s the … err, umm, … the something, something charity of Somalia,” he said.

Although still within earshot as he struggled to make progress, Mr Walliams did not respond when a reporter asked him if he were aware that the UK had no extradition treaty with Somalia.

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