Multiple women have accused British comedian and author David Walliams of exploiting his fame to target them, particularly for sexual encounters when they were younger, as revealed by a three-year investigation conducted by the Guardian and ITV News.
Additionally, Walliams faces allegations of inappropriate conduct in the workplace during his decade-long tenure as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, as well as during his time at HarperCollins, his former publishing house, which has since severed ties with him.
Walliams has refuted the charges. Earlier this year, his legal representatives sought intervention from the U.K.’s High Court to prevent the Guardian and ITV News from disclosing the allegations and revealing his identity in their coverage.
A judge turned down his request for an injunction last week, although he was granted anonymity until late Monday.
Following the dismissal of his case last week, the claims are now eligible for publication. According to a BBC report, Walliams’s legal team asserted that making these allegations public could lead him to contemplate suicide.
Women allege grooming by Walliams
While the majority of the women reported they were over 18 during their encounters with Walliams, two stated they were just 15 when they first met him.
One woman recounted to the Guardian and ITV News that she encountered Walliams in 2004 at a fan event when 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)
During the event, she claims he labeled her “a very attractive lady” and kept staring at her. She provided Walliams with some of her scripts and her contact details, and subsequently, he called her at her home.
She alleges that he praised her scripts as very humorous and suggested they keep in touch. She claims their discussions included her age on several occasions.
As time passed and their communication persisted, she states that their conversations became sexual in nature, with Walliams requesting nude photographs of her. She claims that at 17, she and Walliams engaged in consensual sexual relations.
Walliams told the Guardian and ITV News that he does not recall asking for such pictures and believed she was 18 when they had sex.
Walliams received a Pride of Britain Award in 2006 as the Most Influential Public Figure after swimming across the English Channel to raise funds for the charity Sports Relief. (Ian Walton/Getty Images)
Another woman alleges she also met Walliams at the age of 15 after they connected on MySpace in 2007. She claims they arranged to meet in London, where they shared a kiss in an alley; she alleges he later sexually touched her at his home and suggested they reconnect when she turned 16.
Walliams denies any sexual interaction with the second woman, asserting that he has never groomed young women.
Other women have also reported similar experiences, claiming Walliams attempted to exploit them during vulnerable moments in their lives.
Allegations of harassment at HarperCollins and Britain’s Got Talent
Walliams, who has sold over 26 million children’s books in the U.K., including Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy, was dropped by HarperCollins in 2025. The publisher has announced it will no longer distribute his previous works either.
As per information obtained by the Guardian and ITV News, this decision was made due to longstanding concerns, including accusations of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a young female employee.
David Walliams has sold millions of children’s books through HarperCollins, which has since distanced itself from him. (Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)
Walliams also gained prominence as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent from 2012 to 2022, where he was accused of inviting underage girls to the show as guests and harassing young women employed on the program.
In November 2022, recordings captured Walliams making derogatory and sexual remarks about contestants. He has since departed from the show.
Throughout this period, Walliams’s reported tendency to date younger women has become a subject of humor among U.K. comedians.
‘I am not a sexual predator’
Walliams firmly denies any misconduct. In correspondence with journalists from the Guardian and ITV News involved in the investigation, he stated: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am heartbroken that some women I encountered 10 to 20 years ago now harbor feelings of hurt or anger towards me.”
“I recognize that I have not always considered people’s feelings adequately. This is something I regret. While it is true that a power imbalance exists when one party is famous, misusing that power is an entirely different matter, 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 disclose their findings, but neither he nor his legal team pursued an appeal or requested additional time to do so.
