David Walliams is facing multiple allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour towards women when they were teenagers, after failing in a bid to secure an injunction to prevent publication of the claims.
The TV star was named as part of an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News on Tuesday (November 10), following his unsuccessful attempt to obtain an injunction against reporting of the allegations.
It was previously reported that the unnamed famous man had brought legal action against Independent Television News (ITN), which produces news programmes for ITV, Channel 4, Good Morning Britain and Channel 5, and Guardian News and Media (GNM), publisher of The Guardian.
Legal action and injunction bid
Lawyers for the media organisations previously told the High Court in London the allegations involved Walliams' alleged "abuse of power and status" to contact young women and try to engage in "inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities".
Walliams denied the claims and unsuccessfully sought an injunction to prevent these publications because of the risk he would take his own life, after two previous suicide attempts.
The author was granted anonymity during the proceedings, which was lifted after his injunction bid was dismissed and GNM and ITN published their investigations. Walliams denies any wrongdoing.
Timeline of controversies
In 2006, during a Little Britain stage show, Walliams was known for performing an act called "Hide The Sausage". He played a former children's entertainer and sex offender named Des Kaye, who touched and pulled down the trousers of audience members and attempted to kiss them. Videos of the performances posted online have since attracted criticism from social media users and LGBT+ campaigners.
In 2011, Walliams made sexual comments about former One Direction singer Harry Styles, who was 17 at the time, on Channel 4's Chris Moyles' Quiz Night. His comments prompted complaints to the broadcaster and regulator Ofcom.
In 2020, Little Britain was pulled from various UK streaming services due to its use of blackface. Some of the show's characters were cut when the BBC reuploaded it two years later, while Come Fly With Me was similarly edited. Walliams and co-creator Matt Lucas apologised for their use of blackface in the shows, calling it "wrong", with Lucas describing the comedy in the series as "cruel".
Britain's Got Talent exit
Walliams left his role as a judge on Britain's Got Talent (BGT), which he had appeared on since 2012, after he was found to have made sexually explicit and derogatory remarks towards some of the contestants.
In 2023, BGT producer Fremantle apologised to and reached an "amicable resolution" with Walliams after the remarks he made while on the show were leaked, and the star apologised for the "disrespectful comments".
Walliams said: "I would like to apologise to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for Britain's Got Talent in 2020. These were private conversations and – like most conversations with friends – were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry."
It came after Walliams filed a lawsuit alleging that the release of a recording of him making the comments breached data protection regulations. The lawsuit also accused the company of causing him psychiatric harm and financial loss.
Publisher and theme park decisions
In December 2025, Walliams was dropped by his publisher, which said "after careful consideration" it would not be publishing any new titles from the award-winning children's author. The decision was made after a Telegraph investigation into allegations he had "harassed" young women.
A statement from HarperCollins said: "After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams. The author is aware of this decision."
A spokesperson for Walliams said he had "never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins". His representatives added: "He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice." Shortly after being dropped by HarperCollins, Walliams was also dropped from his appearance at the Waterstones Children's Book Festival in Dundee.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that a famous man, now known to be Walliams, had lost his bid for an injunction against ITN and Guardian News and Media. Theme park Alton Towers also permanently closed its World Of David Walliams attraction last week.
A spokesperson for Merlin Entertainments, which runs the theme park, said: "As the 2026 peak season at Alton Towers Resort comes to an end and following our regular review of rides and attractions across the resort, we have taken the decision to permanently close the World Of David Walliams."
On November 10, ITV News and the Guardian named Walliams publicly as the television personality facing multiple allegations. In response, Walliams has had his Labour Party membership suspended, and Downing Street described the allegations as "deeply troubling".
Following the accusations, the BBC released a statement announcing that it is removing programming and conducting a review of "all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms". A BBC spokesperson said: "These are serious allegations. As such, the BBC is looking carefully at all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms. We are in the process of removing some programmes, including Little Britain, whilst this review is under way."
As well as the comedy shows Little Britain and airport mockumentary Come Fly With Me, episodes of The Wheel and Would I Lie To You? featuring Walliams have been removed from BBC iPlayer, as has the 2011 episode of Doctor Who titled The God Complex, which starred Walliams as the cowardly moleman alien Gibbis.
