David Walliams has been removed from the Waterstones Children’s book festival following allegations of inappropriate behaviour. The decision comes days after his publisher, HarperCollins, cut ties with the author. Walliams has denied the allegations.
Walliams was due to appear at the Dundee leg of the festival on February 7 but has now been taken off the list of speakers. A Waterstones spokesperson said: “HarperCollins have confirmed that David Walliams will no longer be appearing at our festival in Dundee.”
HarperCollins dropped Walliams after an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women, the Telegraph reported. According to the newspaper, he was the subject of complaints that he had “harassed” junior female staff at HarperCollins UK. One woman who raised concerns is understood to have left the company after reaching a settlement that included a five-figure payout.
A spokesperson for Walliams said he had “never been informed of any allegations raised against him” by HarperCollins. “He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice.” In a statement, HarperCollins said: “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 news comes as Walliams is scheduled to appear on a festive special of Would I Lie to You? on Boxing Day on BBC One. The episode attracted controversy earlier this year after it emerged that he had made two Nazi salutes during recording. A BBC spokesperson said: “While we’re not making any changes to the festive schedules, we have no future projects directly involving David Walliams.” Two of his books, Mr Stink and The Boy in the Dress, were broadcast on CBBC on Sunday.
