David Walliams has been removed from the Waterstones Children’s Book Festival following allegations of inappropriate behaviour, days after his publisher HarperCollins ended their partnership. The author was scheduled to appear at the Dundee event on February 7 but has since been taken off the festival’s speaker list.
A Waterstones spokesperson confirmed the decision, stating: “HarperCollins have confirmed that David Walliams will no longer be appearing at our festival in Dundee.” The move comes after HarperCollins conducted an investigation into complaints that Walliams harassed junior female staff at the publisher’s UK office. One woman who raised concerns reportedly left the company after reaching a settlement involving a five-figure payout.
Walliams has denied the allegations. A spokesperson for the author said he was “never informed of any allegations raised against him” by HarperCollins and was “not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions.” The statement added that Walliams “strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice.”
HarperCollins said in a statement: “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 publisher’s decision affects future works, though existing titles remain in print.
The controversy follows earlier incidents involving Walliams. He is set to appear on a festive special of Would I Lie to You? on Boxing Day, which drew criticism after it emerged he made two Nazi salutes during recording. The BBC apologised at the time, and Banijay UK, the production company, said the segment “would not be broadcast under any circumstances.” A BBC spokesperson later stated: “While we’re not making any changes to the festive schedules, we have no future projects directly involving David Walliams.”
