The BBC has removed several David Walliams shows, including Little Britain, from its platforms following allegations that the comedian and writer preyed on vulnerable teenagers and young women for sex.
An investigation claims that Walliams abused his power and position for sexual purposes on multiple occasions with teenagers as young as 15, as a number of women made new allegations against him. One woman claims he first began contacting her when she was 15, after meeting her at a Little Britain fan event, and alleges they started a sexual relationship when she was 17.
BBC statement on removal
Following the publication of the allegations, 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."
Comedy shows Little Britain and Come Fly With Me no longer appear on BBC iPlayer, and episodes of The Wheel and Would I Lie To You? featuring Walliams have been removed too, as well as a 2011 episode of Doctor Who starring Walliams.
Walliams responds to allegations
In response to the investigation, Walliams 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."
He added: "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."
Walliams has sold more than 60 million copies of his books globally, including The Boy In The Dress, Fing, and Gangsta Granny, the latter of which was turned into a one-hour BBC special in 2013, followed by a sequel starring Sheridan Smith in 2022. He left Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 after apologising for making "disrespectful comments" about auditioning contestants during filming breaks in January 2020. In 2023, Britain’s Got Talent producer Fremantle apologised and reached an "amicable resolution" with Walliams after the remarks he made while on the show were leaked.
