After Brand and Walliams, UK media confronts its 'laddie' culture

David Walliams loved being famous.

"It's quite surreal, finding yourself successful and well known," the comedian and children's author told the ABC's documentary series Advice to My 12 Year Old Self in 2018.

"It's a very, very special thing and I pinch myself every day and think how lucky I am."

Warning: This article includes allegations of sexual assault and references to suicide some readers may find distressing.

Multiple people have now alleged he used that fame to groom teenage fans, sexually assault a 15-year-old girl and harass women at work.

The claims were published after a three-year investigation by ITV News and The Guardian, which Mr Walliams unsuccessfully tried to block in London's High Court.

Mr Walliams has denied all the allegations but the fallout has been swift and brutal.

The author was dropped by his literary agent, his back catalogue is being scrubbed from online platforms, and bookstores are returning his unsold books to their publisher, HarperCollins, which will no longer print any of his books.

Metropolitan Police said it would "carefully assess" reports of any allegation against Mr Walliams, but stressed that it had not received any claims about him.

There has been condemnation across the media, charity sector, and government.

British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy described the allegations as "the latest in a long line of reported abuses of power" in the entertainment industry.

Ministers will meet leaders from the TV, film and publishing industry over the coming week to discuss strengthening protections for women and children.

The government tightened non-disclosure agreement (NDA) laws in 2025, and will now consider going even further — possibly even banning them.

Zelda Perkins is a former assistant to Harvey Weinstein who broke an NDA to reveal the truth about the disgraced movie mogul in 2017.

She criticised the way Mr Walliams attempted to prevent the investigation being published.

"The issue with these legal mechanisms that are used to protect reputation are really only open and available to those who have a lot of money and power," she told the ABC.

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Ms Perkins went on to found Can't Buy My Silence UK, which has successfully campaigned for legislative change aimed at giving victims a voice.

"It's very rare that a victim wants to go public because, frankly, I can tell you it ruins your life," Ms Perkins said.

"The reasons victims tend to go public is because they've been silenced."

Old jokes seen in new light

Now attention has turned to what The Times newspaper dubbed "David Walliams's circle of enablers".

Old quips have been reassessed in a new light, including a gag from TV presenter Jonathan Ross when he hosted the British Comedy Awards in 2004.

"The Comedy Awards is 15 years old," Mr Ross announced.

"It's like all 15-year-olds — it's drunk, it is unpredictable and it's probably going home with David Walliams," he said, as the crowd laughed.

Mr Walliams joined in, holding a V sign up to the camera.

Since the allegations were published, Ross released a statement saying he was "horrified" by the allegations against Mr Walliams — as well as the rape conviction of comedian Russell Brand.

On Monday, Brand was sentenced to more than 10 years' jail for rape and three counts of sexual assault.

In his statement, Ross said he was once "on friendly terms with both men", but that at the time he was "genuinely unaware of their conduct".

A 'laddie' culture of misogyny

Brand's sentencing and the allegations against Mr Walliams have sparked a conversation about the culture of Britain's entertainment industry.

Author and comedian Shappi Khorsandi performed with Brand in the early stages of his career.

Following his conviction, she told Channel 4's Russell Brand: On Trial podcast a "laddie" culture of misogyny was widespread in the 1990s and 2000s.

She described the environment as "stifling" for women and said it caused many female comics to leave the industry.

Professor of Inequalities in Media, Culture and Creative Industries at Goldsmiths, University of London, Rosalind Gill, told the ABC the "laddism" culture was characterised by "an unapologetic interest in beer, football, women and shagging, to use the language of the time".

Professor Gill explained that it was difficult to challenge because it was claimed to be "ironic" or "just banter".

"This meant that anyone trying to make criticisms could instantly be dismissed as humourless … or as someone who just didn't get it," Professor Gill said.

Ms Khorsandi told Channel 4 she had been made to feel embarrassed for trying to challenge the culture at the time.

"I was mocked for putting a very, very drunk girl into a taxi and not letting her go with these two male comedians. They called me c*** blocker and Shappi the chaperone," she said.

"And I felt shame, like, 'They don't like me anymore.'"

Ms Perkins said the MeToo movement and women like Giselle Pelicot meant the shame had shifted.

"Culture does take a long time to change but there has been a huge change," she said.

The advocate pointed at the vast legislative change over the past nine years.

Her own organisation, Can't Buy My Silence UK, has successfully lobbied to change four laws in the UK, which will make NDAs void if one is used to silence victims or witnesses of harassment, discrimination, or crime.

"I can tell you that we are living in a completely different environment to the one I did and to the one that I spoke out about in 2017 — unrecognisable," Ms Perkins said.

"There is hope. We are on the journey."