Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck has hit back at those criticising the controversial Presidents Club dinner, insisting: 'If they want bad behaviour they should see some hen parties'.

The veteran comic was at the event in London's Dorchester Hotel last week, where hostesses have since claimed they were groped and harassed by elderly businessmen.

The 77-year-old gave a toast at the evening, where top-end prizes were raffled off to captains of industry and celebrities, but insisted he left without seeing 'anything untoward'.

Jimmy Tarbuck (pictured last year) insisted he did not see anything untoward at the Presidents Club gala and questioned why charities were returning the money raised

He spoke to Sky News reporter Rob Catherall through the intercom of his Surrey mansion

Mr Tarbuck questioned why charities were giving back the money raised when he spoke to Sky News reporter Rob Catherall through the intercom of his Surrey mansion today.

He said: 'I cannot understand how sick children should suffer from it.

'I did the loyal toast, which was a pleasure and thanked them for supporting a children's home and then I came home.

'Were there lots of pretty girls there? Of course there were. There was over 100 of them and all looked very nice.

'I never saw any bad language or any insinuations to them and I left I had done my bit.'

He then added: 'Tell them to go to London airport and see the hen parties if they want to see bad behaviour. It has to be both ways. It cannot be all men that they are including.

'I hear on good reports that hen parties might be banned on some airlines, they should look into that.'

A businessman and hostesses outside the Dorchester for last week's Presidents Club gala

The Presidents Club hired 130 women as hostesses at the annual black-tie fundraiser, which was held at The Dorchester hotel in Mayfair last Thursday (pictured in 2012)

He is one of a number of people who have questioned the wisdom of Great Ormond Street and other hospitals handing back the money raised by the Presidents Club.

Boy George tweeted: ‘So the kids suffer for adults’ bad behaviour? Does this make sense to anyone?

‘It’s like when they lock people up for stealing money? Get them to work it off and save the taxpayer a small fortune!’

A poll for ITV’s Loose Women, which had last night received 3,300 responses, found just 21 per cent backed the hospitals' decision.

Others who attended the event have played down the reports of groping and harassment.

Madison Marriage, the reporter who went undercover, said she was groped 'several times'

A businessman who went denied that it had been ‘Roman orgy’ and insisted there was nothing ‘sinister’, though some guests may have ‘behaved in a handsy way’.

But many women who have worked at the event both this year and previously had said they were mistreated.

TV's Bad Girls actress Nicole Faraday was told to wear a sexy black dress before she was pawed and slapped on the bum when she worked at the same event in the 1990s.

She told MailOnline: I had to look after a table of around 10 old men for the night who slapped me on the bum and called me 'darling'.

'In the toilets girls were saying that their guests were taking them away on their holiday they'd just won or that they were giving them their laptop prize if they would meet them elsewhere, like they were girls on the game.'

There is no suggestion Mr Tarbuck or any of the men mentioned were involved in any impropriety.