Simon Cowell reportedly harboured fears that David Walliams was "not a good person" years before the sexual misconduct allegations against the former Britain's Got Talent judge came to light.
The 67-year-old BGT judge and his former fellow judge, 55, were known for their jovial banter on the ITV talent show, which Walliams left in 2022.
Allegations and Reactions
Walliams has since been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, including allegations of preying on teenage girls as young as 15. He has denied all wrongdoing. One woman alleged that Walliams used his position as a BGT judge to contact young female fans privately, invite them to his dressing room or home, and make unwanted advances.
An employee said he saw very young female guests in Walliams' dressing room while he was wearing only a towel.
Cowell seemingly distanced himself from Walliams four years ago after his BGT exit, with sources telling The Mail that he had harboured suspicions about the entertainer.
Insider Comments and Walliams' Exit
As for the current allegations, an insider said: "Simon hasn't had anything to do with David for a long time now and he won't ever again.
"He is pleased that David went from BGT and that it has now moved on without him." The Standard has contacted Cowell's representative for comment.
Walliams left BGT after he was caught making sexual remarks about a female contestant and describing an elderly contestant as a "c***". Cowell later said that Walliams was "very respectful and emotional" about other contestants for much of his time on BGT.
But he continued: "We had a conversation. But you know, he owned what he said, he wasn't proud of what he said. This is not something that I would ever condone."
He added that, while he is an executive producer on the show, he wasn't "really involved" in the decision for Walliams to leave, saying two other producers were "more hands on".
Walliams' Response and Investigation
Earlier this week, multiple women came forward with allegations about Walliams.
One woman alleged that she was "sexually assaulted" by Walliams when she was 15, while several women accused him of "grooming" them when they were teenagers. Walliams said in a statement: "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. And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did."
He added: "I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me."
Walliams sought an injunction to prevent the allegations being published because of a risk that he would take his own life, following two previous suicide attempts, the court was told.
The injunction bid was dismissed and, after Walliams failed to appeal, he was named in the three-year Guardian and ITV News investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to 2003.
One woman alleged Walliams began contacting her, then 15, after meeting her at a Little Britain fan event, before starting a sexual relationship with her at the age of 17.
Another said she was 18 when the then 31-year-old Walliams first contacted her in 2003.
She told the investigation: "He groomed me as a young adult, I was vulnerable. He made me feel special, plying me with gifts. Then disregarding me when he didn't get what he wanted."
Walliams is also accused of inappropriate conduct and sexual harassment at Britain's Got Talent and at the publisher, HarperCollins.
