Brighton drag queen Dave Lynn reacted with shock and anger following the arrest of his friend, TV host Matthew Kelly.

The compere and comedian, who lives in Saltdean, said: "It's total rubbish, total rubbish.

"The man is lovely. We are still good friends so I don't want to talk about it.

"I'm still in shock."

Mr Lynn and Mr Kelly shared a house in Bournemouth in the Eighties.

Mr Kelly, 52-year-old Stars In Their Eyes host, was arrested as part of Operation Arundel, an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against young boys.

The presenter, from Chiswick, west London, was released from Guildford police station yesterday, 20 hours after his arrest.

He is on bail to return to the police station on March 12.

He was arrested at 6pm on Wednesday at a theatre in Birmingham where he had been starring as Captain Hook in the pantomime Peter Pan.

The married father-of-two was driven 130 miles to Guildford police station where he was quizzed in connection with allegations of sexual abuse against boys under 16 in the Seventies.

Former Bay City Rollers manager Tam Paton has also been questioned by police at his home in Edinburgh.

A police spokes-man said the two men were the first to be arrested in connection with the inquiry.

He added the arrests were not connected to the Operation Ore investigation into internet child pornography.

Manchester-born Kelly first hit the small screen in Game For A Laugh in 1981, the British equivalent of the US series Candid Camera, which he presented with Sarah Kennedy, Henry Kelly and Jeremy Beadle.

The 6ft 5in star also presented You Bet! for LWT in the early Nineties, before landing Stars In Their Eyes, which has become one of ITV1's most popular shows, in 1993.

His wife Sarah, 53, was not answering the door at her home in Winsford, Cheshire.

The pair live mostly apart but have been married for 33 years. They have two grown-up children, Matt, 31, and Ruth, 28.

Mr Kelly last night denied the sex allegations against him in a statement, released by London-based law firm Kingsley Napley, which said: "Mr Kelly emphatically denies the allegation made against him, which has come as a complete shock and surprise.

"He has co-operated fully today with the police and will of course continue to do so should that be necessary.

"It should be noted that he has been released without charge.

"As this matter is ongoing it would obviously not be appropriate for Mr Kelly to make any further statement at this time."

"Neither Mr Kelly, his agent or his solicitor will have any further comment to make to the press at this time."