David Walliams's alleged inappropriate behaviour towards women was reportedly an "open secret" among colleagues, with one podcast host claiming the recent accusations are just "the tip of the iceberg".
The 55-year-old was revealed as the celebrity who tried to block allegations against him from being published. Multiple women have accused the former Britain's Got Talent judge of "grooming" them when they were teenagers, according to a joint investigation between The Guardian and ITV.
'Open Secret' at HarperCollins
JJ Anisiobi, host of the Daily Expresso podcast, said he previously worked in the same building as book publisher HarperCollins, which dropped Walliams last year following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women that he strenuously denied. Anisiobi alleged it was often joked that women "were not allowed to go round his house" alone.
He said: "I used to work in the same building. I worked at TalkTV. HarperCollins was three floors beneath me. I say it was an open secret, it was joked about. People talked about that: 'Oh Walliams you're not allowed to go around his house if you're a woman by yourself.'"
Speaking to Associate Daily Express Editor James Walker, Anisiobi added that he believes the sexual allegations against Walliams are "the tip of the iceberg".
Publisher Ends Relationship
In September, HarperCollins announced it had dropped Walliams's backlist and would gradually phase out stock of his books in shops, as well as e-book and audio versions available online, according to The Bookseller.
Walliams, who denies the allegations made against him, sought an injunction to prevent this broadcast and publication because of a risk that he would take his own life. One woman alleged Walliams began contacting her when she was 15 after meeting her at a Little Britain fan event, before starting a sexual relationship with her at the age of 17, ITV and The Guardian reported.
Walliams Responds to Claims
In a letter to the Guardian and ITV News regarding the claims made against him, the comedian 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."
A spokesperson for HarperCollins UK said the publisher "previously terminated its publishing relationship" with Walliams, adding: "We take the safety of our people incredibly seriously."
