David Walliams, known for Little Britain and as a former Britain's Got Talent judge, is facing allegations from multiple women of sexually inappropriate behaviour when they were teenagers. Walliams denies all allegations, stating: "I am not a sexual predator... I have not broken the law."
Early Stage Controversies
In 2006, during a stage show of Little Britain, Walliams performed an act called Hide The Sausage, playing 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 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. After agreeing that Styles was his favourite member of One Direction and praising his hair, Walliams stated on air: "I'd like to suck his c***." The comment aired post-watershed at 10:20 PM and drew formal complaints to Ofcom at the time.
Television and Publishing Fallout
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".
Walliams left his role as a judge on Britain's Got Talent in 2021, a position he had held since 2012, after he was found to have made sexually explicit and derogatory remarks towards some contestants. Producer Fremantle apologised to and reached an "amicable resolution" with Walliams after the remarks 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." This followed a lawsuit from Walliams alleging that the release of a recording of his comments breached data protection regulations, and accused the company of causing him psychiatric harm and financial loss.
Publisher Exit and Recent Allegations
In December 2025, Walliams was dropped by his publisher, HarperCollins, which said "after careful consideration" it would not publish any new titles from the award-winning children's author. The decision followed 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. HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns. To respect the privacy of individuals we do not comment on internal matters." A spokesperson for Walliams said he had "never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins", adding: "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, Walliams was dropped from his appearance at the Waterstones Children's Book Festival in Dundee. In 2025, it was also reported that he had made Nazi salutes while recording BBC panel show Would I Lie To You?
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Walliams had lost his bid for an injunction against ITN and Guardian News And Media to prevent publication of allegations including sexual misconduct. Theme park Alton Towers also permanently closed its World Of David Walliams attraction last week, which featured attractions based on his children's books. A spokesperson for Merlin Entertainments 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 of sexually inappropriate behaviour towards women.
