Why Sir Les fears a sex scandal

THE ‘sex pest’ scandal sweeping Westminster is close to home for comedian Barry Humphries, the genius behind lilac-haired alter ego Dame Edna Everage.

Humphries, 83, jokes that his other best-known character, lecherous diplomat Sir Les Patterson, is constantly putting his hand on women’s knees, and thinks it’s ‘amazing’ no one has accused Sir Les of sexual harassment.

‘Sir Les has put his hand on so many knees, there would be a stampede [of allegations], wouldn’t there?’ says the comedian.

Boorish Sir Les is known for his sexist and racist stereotypes.

His fictional CV lists his hobbies as ‘wine tasting and infidelity’, and career highlights include ‘minister for sport with special responsibility to keep sports rampantly heterosexual and blokey’.

Humphries himself has been teetotal since the Seventies. He has said: ‘In Les, I can release my alcoholism.’