Al Porter has been reportedly accused of sexual misconduct Picture: Phillip Massey/Getty Images)

Comedian Al Porter has been accused of groping four people.

Irish rising star Porter has been the subject of four allegations from people within the comedy industry of sexual misconduct.

The Irish edition of The Times has reported four separate complaints from men alleging that Porter touched them inappropriately in incidents dating back to 2012.

According to The Times, one man alleged that Porter put his hand down the front of his jeans while he paid him for a gig in Dublin in 2014, as well as alleging Porter put his hand down the back of his trousers in a bathroom in Edinburgh in 2015.




Another man alleges he was grabbed by the crotch by the comedian in 2012, and claims that in 2014, while the accuser’s girlfriend was present, Porter put his hand down his trouser and asked ‘How come you don’t get hard for me?’

The paper also reports that one man alleges that his genitals were grabbed by Porter at Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge comedy club in 2014, while another alleges Porter put his hand down his trousers in 2015.

The four men, who are named in the Times’ report, all say that Porter stopped when reprimanded.

The Times also reports that Porter is alleged to have sent unsolicited sexual messages to a musician who appeared on his daily show on radio station Today FM.

Today FM said last night: ‘Today FM has spoken with Al Porter and his management team concerning these allegations. We take any comments of this nature extremely seriously. Likewise, we take the welfare of our presenters and staff extremely seriously. Today FM is not commenting any further at this time.’

Porter presents the Irish edition of Blind Date (Picture: TV3)

Porter, 24, is set to start in panto in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre in the show Polly And The Beanstalk on December 15.

Since these allegations were made, Porter has resigned from Today FM.

Just last week, Porter, who has appeared in pantos for 14 years, said that he saw ‘inappropriate’ behaviour in theatre from a young age but that it was never ‘malicious’.

He told the Irish Sun: ‘It was ordinary fare for juvenile, outrageous, saucy behaviour to go on — from dirty jokes to pinching to costumes flying around.

‘I saw it as a kid, between other teens, between young adults and teens. I’ve seen juvenile behaviour, since I was a kid. I’ve seen promiscuous behaviour since I was a kid, and I’ve seen inappropriate behaviour since I was a kid.

‘But I never saw abusive or predatory behaviour. Nothing malicious.’

He then conceded that in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment being made across many industries, ‘certainly the atmosphere backstage will be different in every theatre this year.

‘Everyone is likely to be far more careful around that kind of stuff which was commonplace in every cast in Ireland.’

The comedian, who has appeared on Live At The Apollo, is also the host of Ireland’s version of Blind Date on TV3, a second series of which has been commissioned.

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