David Walliams accused of sexual misconduct in Guardian and ITN investigation

David Walliams has faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including accusations from several women, one of whom was reportedly 15 years old at the time. These claims emerged following a joint three-year investigation by ITV News and the Guardian, which was published after Walliams failed to secure a legal injunction preventing the allegations from becoming public.

Several women accused Walliams of inappropriate sexual behaviour, with some describing experiences of grooming during their teenage years. One woman has gone as far as to label her encounter with Walliams at age 15 as a “sexual assault.” Walliams responded to the allegations in a letter shared with journalists, denying that he is a sexual predator or has broken any laws. He acknowledged that he sometimes acted thoughtlessly in casual sexual relationships and expressed regret for not always considering others’ feelings.

Walliams’ career spans across comedy, television, and literature. He initially gained fame with Matt Lucas in the BBC sketch series “Little Britain” and later served as a judge on ITV’s “Britain’s Got Talent.” The women who have come forward are unrelated to each other but uniformly allege that Walliams subjected them to unwelcome sexual advances at various points in the past. Among the claims are reports of a woman whom he allegedly groomed from the age of 15, another who described unwanted physical contact after meeting him for coffee at the same age, and allegations involving inappropriate behaviour toward models and junior employees at the publishing house HarperCollins. Additionally, some women accused Walliams of making inappropriate overtures to girls and young women on “Britain’s Got Talent,” including inviting them to his dressing room.

Following the publication of the investigation, Walliams’s literary agent, Independent Talent Group, confirmed they had cut ties with him. Media companies such as the BBC and Sky have removed content involving Walliams from their platforms, with Sky also canceling plans for an upcoming adaptation of his work. The Metropolitan Police stated they are liaising with the news organisations to ensure that any potential victims are aware of how to report criminal allegations.

Some individuals who have spoken publicly about their experiences include Lilly Creightmore, who stated she felt pressured when staying in Walliams’s home and accused him of manipulation. Walliams’s legal representatives denied these claims, maintaining that no grooming or inappropriate behaviour occurred. Other accusers, given pseudonyms in the media, described encounters with Walliams when they were 15, including a woman who asserted she was groomed before engaging in a consensual relationship at 17, and another who characterized her experience as unwanted sexual contact