The BBC has confirmed it is in the process of removing some programmes featuring and written by David Walliams after he was named as the famous man who tried to prevent the publication of allegations, including sexual misconduct, against him.
Multiple women have accused Walliams of sexual misconduct as the TV star and author was accused of abusing his power to groom teenagers as young as 15. He was named as part of an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News on Tuesday (November 10), after he tried to obtain an injunction to prevent the reporting of allegations against him.
Allegations and Denial
One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams, when she was 15, as a "sexual assault". Multiple women accuse him of "grooming" them when they were teenagers.
Walliams denies any wrongdoing. In a letter understood to have been sent several months ago by Walliams to journalists working on the ITV News and Guardian investigations, the television personality wrote: "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." He added: "I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me."
BBC Review of Material
Now, the BBC has said that it is in the process of removing some programmes featuring or written by Walliams, including Little Britain, while it carries out a review of "all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms", a spokesperson has said.
Walliams, 55, rose to fame writing and starring in BBC sketch show Little Britain with Matt Lucas. The show first aired in 2003 and was known for its controversial sense of humour, running for three series until 2006, with a number of specials following.
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."
Investigation and Government Response
The three-year joint investigation by ITV News and the Guardian revealed a number of allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to 2003.
Following the naming of Walliams, Downing Street said the allegations were "deeply troubling." Asked about the investigation, the Prime Minister Andy Burnham's official spokesman said: "I don’t think we’ve seen the full extent of the reporting. They’re clearly deeply troubling allegations, and the Government will doubtless respond to them during the course of the day, I’m sure."
