Sky has confirmed it is distancing itself from the release of a film David Walliams co-wrote and stars in, following allegations from multiple women of sexually inappropriate behaviour when they were teenagers. The broadcaster has also begun removing content featuring the comedian from its platforms.
Allegations and legal action
On Tuesday, November 10, multiple women accused the TV star and comedian of sexual misconduct. The allegations came to light after Walliams failed in a bid to secure an injunction to prevent their publication. He was confirmed to be the famous man who sought an injunction to prevent Independent Television News (ITN) and Guardian News and Media (GNM), publisher of The Guardian, from reporting allegations against him.
Walliams, 55, brought legal action against the two organisations to stop them reporting allegations including sexual misconduct and potential criminal activity. Lawyers for the media organisations previously told the High Court in London that 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 denies any wrongdoing and unsuccessfully sought an injunction because of the risk he would take his own life, after two previous suicide attempts. He was granted anonymity during the proceedings, which was lifted after his injunction bid was dismissed and GNM and ITN published their investigations.
Sky exits Fing! release
Sky has now scrapped plans to release Fing! in the UK. The film, a live-action family adventure movie based on Walliams' 2019 children's book of the same name, was co-written by Walliams and Kevin Cecil. The former Little Britain star and Britain's Got Talent judge also stars in it alongside Taika Waititi and Mia Wasikowska, and it was billed for release in the UK by Sky Original in early 2027.
A spokesperson for Sky told Variety: "The allegations made against David Walliams are extremely serious. We have notified the producers of the film of our intention to exit our position as the UK & Ireland licensee of Fing!" The representative added that Sky had also "already removed content which features [Walliams] from our platforms."
BBC review and removals
Following the accusations, the BBC also released a statement announcing 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.
The three-year joint investigation by ITV News and The Guardian revealed a series of allegations dating back to 2003, with some accusers being as young as 15.
Walliams' response
Walliams denies all the allegations. In response to the investigation by The Guardian and ITV News, 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."
