Allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming against David Walliams have prompted calls for improved safeguarding in the entertainment industry. The best-selling author and former Britain's Got Talent judge was named as part of an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News involving accusations of grooming teenage girls as young as 15 and abusing his position to pursue women.
Official Response and Industry Calls
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the claims were the "latest in a long line of reported abuses of power," while comedian Lucy Beaumont called for better industry safeguarding processes. Nandy pledged to convene a meeting of senior media and entertainment industry members to "draw a line in the sand."
She added: "A decade and a half on from the revelations about Jimmy Savile and 10 years on from the Me Too movement, we must finally take meaningful steps to end abuse and harassment in sectors where the power imbalances are huge and careers are built on contacts and reputation."
Walliams' Denial and Allegations
Walliams, 55, has denied any wrongdoing and attempted to obtain an injunction to prevent the reporting of allegations against him. He has not commented further since his name was published on Tuesday. One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams, when she was 15, as a "sexual assault," while multiple women accused him of "grooming" them as teenagers.
In a letter understood to have been sent months ago to journalists working on the investigations, Walliams denied being a "sexual predator." He said that while he "behaved thoughtlessly" at times and regretted not taking people's feelings "properly into account," he had not broken the law. The letter said: "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."
Beaumont's Account and Industry Concerns
Speaking to Sky News, Beaumont confirmed she had spoken with the Guardian about Walliams, though she had never met him. She said: "I don't know Walliams, I haven't worked with him but, bizarrely, it's been a really strange day for me because, about three years ago, a young person – and it was their first job on TV – worked on a show he was on and the next show that they worked on was with me."
Beaumont said the young person confided in her about "some of (Walliams') conduct that they were really worried about." She said the young person told her they had to "take young girls" who were "definitely" over 16 to Walliams' dressing room, adding: "He felt they were vulnerable." Beaumont said there was "no proper duty of care" in the TV industry and that "these things slip through the net because, I think there will be now, but there hasn't been a process that you can deal with."
Further Reactions and Consequences
Presenter Jonathan Ross said he was "horrified" by the allegations about Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand, adding that he was "genuinely unaware of their conduct." The Metropolitan Police confirmed it contacted the Guardian and ITV News to "ensure that any potential victims" are "made aware of how they could report any criminal allegations to police."
One woman, named by ITV News and the Guardian as Jade, said she was 15 and Walliams was 36 when they met in August 2007 and he invited her to his house. She claimed what happened to her there was "sexual assault" and "grooming," adding: "It's completely wrong in every way." Walliams strongly denied to the publications that he had any sexual contact with Jade, adding that he rejects any allegations of criminal activity and has never engaged in the grooming of young women.
After the allegations emerged on Tuesday, Walliams was dropped by his literary agency, Independent Talent Group, and the BBC began removing his shows, including Little Britain, from iPlayer. His Labour Party membership was suspended, and Downing Street described the allegations as "deeply troubling."
