Vanessa Feltz has described her former Little Britain co-star David Walliams as "coldly dispassionate" and "unfriendly" during the filming of a sketch in which Matt Lucas was scripted to spit in her face. Her comments come amid allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming involving Walliams, which he has strongly denied.
Recalling the spitting sketch
Speaking on her At Home With Vanessa podcast with guest Tom Swarbrick, Feltz recalled the lengthy discussions on set about how the spitting scene would be staged without actually being done for real. She alleged that Walliams pushed for the moment to look as authentic as possible, focusing on the detail that viewers should be able to see "real" saliva.
She shared: "There was endless discussion about how the spitting was going to occur and what exactly was going to happen, most of it orchestrated by a fairly chilling David Walliams."
"He was extremely coldly dispassionate about the idea that Matt Lucas was going to spit actual spittle, saliva, right in my face and how was this going to occur."
Matt Lucas's protective suggestion
Feltz said that, in the end, Lucas suggested putting a plastic layer over her face to protect her. She claimed that Lucas was the one making sure it was not her actual face, while Walliams was "really forensic" about insisting it had to be real spit.
"I certainly sensed at the time that David Walliams wasn't the one who was being considerate of how I would feel about being spat upon, it was Matt Lucas who was making sure that it wasn't my actual face and David Walliams who was really forensic about saying, 'It had to be real spit, it couldn't be just some glue that looked like spit, it couldn't be simulated, it had to be real, you had to see the saliva'. I remember this so clearly," she claimed.
Reflecting on the experience
Asked by Tom how she felt about it at the time, Feltz said she wanted to be "a good sport" on the show she once loved. Reflecting on Lucas's support during the difficult scene, she continued: "I was eternally grateful to him and I still am."
She added: "Walliams was much colder and much less interested in protecting me and, actually, much less interested in being friendly or welcoming me or, you know, making me feel like I was a part of the team for a very short time or anything like that."
"That wasn't his thing, he certainly, I don't think was abundant in social skills. He was extremely, I would say, unfriendly and I thought [stand off-ish]."
The podcast discussion comes amid wider allegations about Walliams. A three-year ITV News and Guardian investigation uncovered allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming, which he has strongly denied. In a statement, he said looking back he realised that at times he "behaved thoughtlessly".
He continued: "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." Walliams' representatives have been contacted for comment.
