The short version
- Multiple women have accused David Walliams of sexual misconduct, including grooming teenagers and inappropriate behavior with junior staff members.
- A High Court judge denied Walliams' request for an injunction to block publication, ruling that public interest outweighed his privacy rights despite concerns about his mental health.
- Major institutions, including the BBC and his literary agency, have distanced themselves from Walliams following the release of the investigative reports.
British entertainer David Walliams is facing renewed scrutiny after a joint investigation by ITV News and The Guardian published allegations of sexual misconduct involving multiple women. The reports emerged only after a High Court judge rejected Walliams' legal attempt to secure an injunction that would have prevented the media outlets from identifying him in connection with the claims. The decision allows the publication of detailed accounts alleging that Walliams used his fame to groom young women and engage in inappropriate conduct over several years.
The investigation, which spanned three years, includes interviews with more than 100 individuals. Several accusers describe encounters that began when they were teenagers. One woman, identified by the pseudonym Alex, alleges she met Walliams at a fan event in 2004 when she was 15. She claims he maintained contact over two years before they engaged in sexual activity when she was 17, a situation she now characterizes as grooming. Another accuser, Jade, states she met Walliams at a cafe in Soho in 2007 at age 15 and alleges he later invited her to his home where he attempted unwanted physical contact that she describes as sexual assault.
Walliams has denied all allegations of criminal behavior or grooming. In a letter addressed to the journalists involved, he stated he is not a sexual predator and has not broken the law. He acknowledged that he sometimes behaved thoughtlessly in casual sexual relationships and regretted not always considering others' feelings, but he firmly rejected claims that he abused his power or engaged in predatory conduct. Regarding the specific allegations from Alex, Walliams maintained he believed she was 18 at the time of their relationship and expressed dismay that it caused her sadness.
The legal battle preceding the publication highlighted significant tensions between privacy rights and public interest journalism. Walliams' lawyers argued that publishing the allegations would lead him to take his own life, citing a history of psychiatric vulnerability and recent hospitalization for mental health care. Justice Matthew Nicklin acknowledged these serious risks but ruled that the evidence did not establish that suicide was inevitable. He determined that granting an injunction would constitute an exceptionally serious interference with the media's rights, given the strong public interest in the allegations.
Beyond the personal accounts of teenage accusers, the investigation outlines concerns regarding Walliams' professional conduct. Reports indicate he had a sexual relationship with at least one junior employee at publisher HarperCollins and pursued another. Additional allegations involve inappropriate behavior while serving as a judge on ITV's Britain's Got Talent, including inviting young women to his dressing room. These claims suggest a pattern of leveraging his status to initiate contact with women considerably younger than himself.
The fallout from the published reports has been swift and severe for Walliams' professional standing. His long-time literary agent, Independent Talent Group, confirmed it had dropped him as a client. The BBC, which produced his early hit sketch show Little Britain, removed the series from its streaming platform iPlayer and announced a review of all material featuring or written by Walliams on its platforms. HarperCollins had previously ended its relationship with Walliams last year following earlier concerns about his behavior, though few details were made public at that time.
The Metropolitan Police stated it has contacted the news organizations to ensure potential victims are aware of how to report criminal allegations. The case has drawn widespread attention in Britain, raising broader questions about the limits of privacy for public figures and the responsibilities of media outlets when reporting on serious misconduct. While Walliams maintains his innocence regarding criminal acts, the accumulation of accounts from women who do not know one another presents a consistent narrative of inappropriate behavior that has led to significant professional consequences.
Walliams rose to prominence in the early 2000s alongside Matt Lucas with the BBC comedy series Little Britain. He later became a celebrated children's author, publishing dozens of titles that sold millions of copies worldwide and were adapted into television dramas and stage productions. His career also included a long tenure as a judge on Britain's Got Talent, from which he stepped down in 2022 after apologizing for disrespectful comments toward contestants. The current allegations cast a new shadow over his legacy, contrasting sharply with his public persona as a family-friendly entertainer and bestselling writer.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- BBC News↗David Walliams accused of sexual misconduct after losing injunction bid
- PBS NewsHour↗British comedian and children's author David Walliams accused of sexual misconduct
