David Walliams has been accused of sexual misconduct and grooming girls as young as 15, prompting questions over whether he should be stripped of his OBE.
The former Britain's Got Talent judge, 55, was named on Tuesday (November 10) as the celebrity who lost his bid for an injunction to prevent ITN and The Guardian from publishing serious allegations against him. He sought the injunction because of a risk that he would take his own life, after two previous suicide attempts.
Walliams responds to allegations
Since being named, Walliams has responded to the accusations, saying that while he behaved "thoughtlessly", he is not a sexual predator and has not broken the law.
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. 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…
"I am not a sexual predator… I have not broken the law… I am devastated that some of the women I met ten to twenty years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me."
Professional setbacks and the OBE question
Walliams has suffered several reputational blows since the allegations came to light, with the BBC removing Little Britain and other shows featuring or written by the author from BBC iPlayer.
His new fantasy feature film, based on his children's book of the same name Fing! and set for release in 2027, has been dropped by Sky. He has also been dropped by The Children's Trust, adding to a growing list of professional setbacks for the TV star.
Questions have since been raised over whether Walliams should be stripped of his OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in light of the allegations. Walliams was awarded an OBE in 2017, recognised for his services to charity and the arts.
A poll has been launched asking readers whether they think the honour should now be removed.
