Actor and author of best-selling children's books, British David Walliams accused by several women of sexual predation

British comedian and bestselling children's book author David Walliams is accused of sexual predation by several women interviewed in an investigation by the Guardian and the ITV News channel published on Tuesday. These accusations led his literary agent to announce that he was parting ways with him, while the BBC indicated that it was withdrawing from its platforms certain programs linked to the author and actor, such as the series Little Britain which made him famous.

As part of their investigation, The Guardian and ITV News collected testimonies from 30 different sources on the behavior of David Walliams, dating back to 2003. Several women accuse him of having used his celebrity to obtain sex when they were young, even underage.

Denials from David Walliams

The actor and author admits to having had “reckless behavior towards certain people with whom (he had) casual sexual relations”. But “I’m not a sexual predator. I didn’t break any laws,” he assures.

While most of the women interviewed say they were adults when they met the star, two of them say they were contacted by Walliams when they were 15. One, identified as Alex, said she received a phone call from the author after meeting him at a book signing. She claims to have had sexual relations with him after two years of telephone and email exchanges when she was 17. The man, she said, was “insistent” and treated her “like a prostitute.”

The other, Jade, claims to have received an online message from the actor when she was 15, before meeting him a few weeks later. She says that the actor took her to his house, lifted her t-shirt and bra, kissed her chest, but that she ended this contact. “It’s sexual predation,” she said in The Guardian.

David Walliams, 55, who denies any illegal behavior, tried unsuccessfully in court to prevent the publication of his name in this investigation, but the High Court rejected his request.

A tarnished reputation in 2022

David Walliams is one of the best-selling authors of children's literature in the United Kingdom, with around twenty books published, including The Boy in the Dress ("The day I disguised myself as a girl", in its French translation), and Mr Stink ("Monsieur Kipu", in its French translation). He has sold more than 60 million books, and several of his works have been adapted for television. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2017 for his charitable actions.

Contacted by AFP, David Walliams' lawyer did not immediately react. Before the High Court, she indicated that the author had made two suicide attempts and was interned in a psychiatric hospital. He had attempted to prevent publication of the accusations by seeking an injunction against the media outlets concerned. On November 3, the High Court in London rejected his request, which notably invoked the right not to suffer inhuman or degrading treatment.

Its British publisher HarperCollins announced in December 2025 that it would no longer publish the author's books, already targeted by accusations of sexual harassment within this publishing house.