The Metropolitan Police has contacted ITV News and the Guardian after their joint investigation published allegations of sexual misconduct against David Walliams, saying it wanted to ensure potential victims knew they could report criminal allegations to the police. The force has not received any related reports but said anyone who contacts police will be supported by specialist officers.
Walliams, 55, lost a High Court bid to prevent the allegations from being made public, with a judge rejecting his injunction request last week. The protection of his identity expired on Monday.
The allegations, gathered over three years, include accusations that Walliams used his fame to groom teenage girls, and one woman’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her. One woman, named only as Jade, said Walliams contacted her via social media when she was 15 in 2007, arranged to meet her in Soho, kissed her, and drove her to his north London home where she says he sexually assaulted her on his sofa. “It's a sexual assault. It's grooming. It's completely wrong in every way,” she told the Guardian and ITV News. Another woman, named as Alex, said she met Walliams at a Little Britain event when she was 15 and began having sex with him two years later. She said: “My body reacts when I think about it. It's like a trauma response. I think I was groomed, 100 per cent.”
Walliams strongly denies the allegations. In a letter to the investigating journalists, he said: “Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with. I realise I did not always take people's feelings properly into account. That is something I regret.” He added: “I am not a sexual predator … I have not broken the law.” Walliams told ITV News and the Guardian he believed Alex was 18 at the time they had sex. His lawyers said he did not target Lilly Creightmore, who alleged he groomed her at age 18, because she was vulnerable or young.
The BBC said it was removing some programmes, including Little Britain, while it carried out a review of "all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms". His literary agency, Independent Talent Group, said it was no longer representing him. Walliams also had his Labour Party membership suspended.
Walliams's lawyer, Sara Mansoori, told the High Court that he had attempted suicide when he received letters from the media organisations seeking his response to the allegations, and was recently admitted to hospital for psychiatric care. He is understood to be in a psychiatric facility. Justice Matthew Nicklin said the evidence did not "establish that suicide is inevitable".
In total, about 30 women have come forward with claims against Walliams. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called the allegations the "latest in a long line of reported abuses of power" in the media. TV presenter Jonathan Ross said he was "horrified" and that his thoughts were "with the many, many women who have bravely come forward".
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The allegations involve a prominent children's author and TV personality, affecting his career, his published works, and the organisations that have partnered with him.
- The case raises questions about how the media and police handle accusations of sexual misconduct by public figures, and about the balance between privacy rights and the public interest.
- The response by the BBC, his literary agency, and Labour Party shows the immediate professional consequences for figures facing such claims.
Background
David Walliams rose to fame in the early 2000s as co-creator of the BBC sketch show Little Britain. He later became a judge on Britain's Got Talent and published more than 40 children's books, including Gangsta Granny. He was dropped by publisher HarperCollins last year after the Daily Telegraph reported allegations of harassment involving junior female employees. He was awarded an OBE in 2017. The current allegations date back to 2003. Walliams had sought to block publication of the allegations on the grounds he would attempt suicide if they became public. His lawyers told the High Court he made two suicide attempts after becoming aware of the media investigation in May.
Key Perspectives
David Walliams: Denies all allegations. Says he is "not a sexual predator" and has "not broken the law". Acknowledges he "behaved thoughtlessly" and did not always take people's feelings into account, but says he never abused his power.
Scotland Yard: Has not received any reports of sexual assault or other offences. Contacted the media organisations to ensure potential victims know they can report allegations to police.
BBC: Describes the allegations as "serious" and is removing some programmes, including Little Britain, while it reviews all material featuring or written by Walliams on its platforms.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy: Says the allegations are the latest in a long line of reported abuses of power in the media industry.
Jonathan Ross: Says he is "horrified" and that his thoughts are with the women who have come forward.
What to Watch
- Whether any of the women who have spoken to the media come forward to the Metropolitan Police, potentially triggering a criminal investigation.
- The outcome of the BBC's review of programmes featuring or written by Walliams, which could lead to further removals.
- Any further professional fallout for Walliams, including potential actions by other publishers or broadcasters.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe Metropolitan Police contacted ITV News and the Guardian about the Walliams allegations.BBC News: “The Metropolitan Police have since contacted the Guardian and ITV News”
- Partly supportedThe BBC removed Little Britain.BBC News: “A BBC spokesperson described the allegations as "serious" and the corporation has removed Little Britain from BBC iPlayer.”
- SupportedThe Met said it wanted potential victims to know how to report criminal allegations to police.BBC News: “to ensure that any potential victims" are "made aware of how they could report any criminal allegations to police"”
- SupportedWalliams denies all the allegations and said, “I am not a sexual predator.”BBC News: “Walliams denies all allegations, and in a statement to journalists shared by the Guardian said he was "not a sexual predator"”
- SupportedThe Met had received no related reports and said anyone contacting police would be supported by specialist officers.WA Today - Latest News: “The Met has not received any related reports of sexual assault or any other offences. Should we receive any reports, they will be carefully assessed. Anyone who contacts the police will be supported by specialist officers.”
- SupportedJade alleged Walliams contacted her on social media when she was 15, met her in Soho, and sexually assaulted her at his north London home.WA Today - Latest News: “Walliams contacted her via social media in 2007, when she was 15. After arranging to meet her in Soho, central London, and kissing her in an alleyway, he drove her to his house in his Aston Martin before allegedly sexually assaulting her on his sofa.”
- SupportedJade said, “It's a sexual assault. It's grooming. It's completely wrong in every way.”WA Today - Latest News: “It’s a sexual assault. It’s grooming. It’s completely wrong in every way.”
- SupportedAlex said, “My body reacts when I think about it. It's like a trauma response. I think I was groomed, 100 per cent.”WA Today - Latest News: “She said: “My body reacts when I think about it. It’s like a trauma response. I think I was groomed, 100 per cent.””
- SupportedWalliams wrote that he had sometimes behaved thoughtlessly towards people he had casual sexual relationships with and regretted not always considering their feelings.Just In: “"Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with," he wrote. "I realise I did not always take people's feelings properly into account. That is something I regret."”
- SupportedWalliams told ITV News and the Guardian he believed Alex was 18 when they had sex.BBC News: “Walliams told ITV News and Guardian he believed she was 18 at the time they had sex.”
- SupportedA judge rejected Walliams's injunction request last week, and the protection of his identity expired on Monday.Just In: “a judge rejected Walliams's injunction request last week and the protection of his identity expired late Monday, UK time.”
- SupportedAbout 30 women have come forward with claims against Walliams.WA Today - Latest News: “In total, about 30 women have come forward to make claims against the former Little Britain star”