The BBC has confirmed that David Walliams will not be directly involved in any future projects with the broadcaster. A spokesperson said: 'While we’re not making any changes to the festive schedules, we have no future projects directly involving David Walliams.'
The announcement follows allegations reported by The Telegraph that Walliams harassed junior female employees. His publisher, HarperCollins, has also dropped him. Walliams 'strongly denies' the allegations and is taking legal advice, according to a statement from his spokesperson.
Despite the controversy, the BBC will still air a Christmas special of 'Would I Lie To You?' featuring Walliams on Boxing Day. CBBC will also broadcast adaptations of his books 'Mr Stink' and 'The Boy in the Dress'. However, his planned appearance at Waterstones' children's book festival in February has been cancelled.
This is not the first time Walliams has faced scrutiny. In 2022, he was removed as a judge on 'Britain's Got Talent' after leaked recordings showed him making offensive remarks about contestants. He later apologised and reached a settlement with the production company. Additionally, his sketch show 'Little Britain' has been criticised for using blackface, for which he and Matt Lucas apologised in 2020.
