Multiple women have accused British comedian and author David Walliams of exploiting his fame to target them at a young age, often with sexual intentions, following a three-year investigation conducted by the Guardian and ITV News.
Additionally, Walliams has faced allegations of inappropriate conduct in the workplace during his decade-long tenure as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, as well as at his former publisher HarperCollins, which has since severed ties with him.
Walliams has refuted the allegations. Earlier this year, his legal representatives approached the U.K.’s High Court in an attempt to prevent the Guardian and ITV News from disclosing the accusations and revealing his identity in their reports.
A judge denied his request for an injunction last week, although he was granted a temporary protection of his identity until late Monday.
The case was dismissed last week, paving the way for the claims to be made public. According to a report by the BBC, Walliams’s legal team argued that revealing these allegations could lead him to take his own life.
A representative from the Metropolitan Police Service in London stated that they are aware of media allegations concerning a man in his 50s but have yet to receive any formal reports regarding sexual assault or other crimes.
The spokesperson indicated that police have contacted the media entities involved “to ensure that any potential victims they may have spoken to are informed about how to report any criminal allegations to the authorities.”
Lawyer Marcus Johnstone remarked that whether or not Walliams faces charges will likely hinge on the nature of the alleged interactions with women who were under the age of 16 at the time.
“Now, of course, there’s nothing wrong in having contact with a 15-year-old. Of course there’s not. But there is if it’s a sexual assault. There is if it’s grooming. There is, if it’s arranging sexual activity with a child; these are all potentially criminal offenses,” said Johnstone, a senior solicitor and managing director of PCD Solicitors in the U.K.
Women allege grooming by Walliams
While the majority of women report that they were over 18 during their encounters with Walliams, two claim they were only 15 when they initially met him.
One woman recounted to the Guardian and ITV News that she met Walliams in 2004 at a fan event, while she was 15 and he was 32. At that time, he was starring in the popular BBC comedy series Little Britain, and she aspired to become a comedy writer.
Matt Lucas, left, and Walliams, right — dressed as their characters Lou Todd and Andy Pipkin — signed copies of their comedy CD in January 2004. It was at such a fan event where one of Walliams’ accusers says she first met him. (Steve Finn/Getty Images)
She alleges that he referred to her as “a very attractive lady” and insisted on staring at her. She provided Walliams with some scripts she had written along with her contact details, after which he reportedly called her at home.
She claims he complimented her scripts, stating they were very funny, and suggested they stay in touch. During their conversation, she asserts that her age was mentioned multiple times.
As their communication continued, she alleges that discussions became sexual in nature, with Walliams requesting naked pictures of her. She claims they had consensual sex when she was 17.
Walliams informed the Guardian and ITV News that he does not recall asking for such images, insisting he believed she was 18 at the time of their sexual encounter.
“That’s quite a serious offense. It carries up to 10 years in prison in England,” Johnstone noted.
“If Walliams has received a naked image of someone who is 17, 16, or 15, then that may constitute separate sexual offenses involving children, which would automatically require him to be registered as a sex offender.”
Walliams won a Pride of Britain Award in 2006 as the Most Influential Public Figure, after raising money for the charity campaign Sports Relief by swimming across the English Channel. (Ian Walton/Getty Images)
Another woman claims she met Walliams at the age of 15 after connecting with him on MySpace in 2007. She states they arranged to meet in London, where they kissed in an alleyway; she alleges he later sexually touched her at his residence and suggested they reconnect once she turned 16.
Walliams denies any sexual contact with the second woman and asserts he has never groomed younger women.
Several other women have also come forward with allegations that Walliams attempted to exploit them during vulnerable periods in their lives.
Claims of harassment at HarperCollins and Britain’s Got Talent
Walliams, who has sold over 26 million children’s books in the U.K., including titles such as Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy, was dropped by HarperCollins in 2025. The publisher has also announced that it will cease publication of his back catalogue.
Documents obtained by the Guardian and ITV News reveal that this decision was influenced by ongoing concerns, including claims regarding an inappropriate sexual relationship with a young female employee.
David Walliams has sold millions of copies of children’s books through the publisher HarperCollins, which has since dropped him. (Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)
Walliams also gained recognition as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent from 2012 to 2022, where he faced accusations of inviting underage girls to the show and harassing young female staff members.
In November 2022, he was recorded making lewd and disparaging remarks towards contestants. He has since departed from the program.
Throughout this period, Walliams’s alleged preference for dating younger women became a frequent target of humor among U.K. comedians.
‘I am not a sexual predator’
Walliams firmly denies any misconduct. In a correspondence to journalists from the Guardian and ITV News who were investigating the matter, he stated: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am heartbroken that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed pain or resentment towards me.”
“I acknowledge that I have not always considered people’s feelings appropriately, and I regret that. While there is an inevitable power imbalance when one party is famous, misusing that power is entirely different, and it is something I have never done.”
Walliams had the option to appeal the High Court’s ruling that allowed the Guardian and ITV News to publish their findings, but neither he nor his legal team filed an appeal or sought additional time to do so.
