Author says she was warned against inviting David Walliams to schools

Author Chloe Combi says a senior publishing figure warned her in 2015 not to invite David Walliams to a schools project, citing concerns about his behaviour around young female staff.

Her account follows a joint Guardian and ITV News investigation in which several women accused the comedian and children’s author of sexual misconduct and abusing his position. Walliams denies wrongdoing.

Combi told the BBC she was organising a scheme to bring writers and speakers into schools when she spoke to the woman at an event. She said the woman advised her not to invite Walliams and to tell head teachers and teachers that he was “not an appropriate booking for a school”.

When Combi asked why, she said, the woman told her there had been “real concerns about his behaviour around young female staff”. The BBC did not name the woman or identify her employer.

Combi said she had already heard rumours from people in publishing, fellow writers and people in television and celebrity circles. She said she had never met Walliams and her information came from others. ITV News reported that Walliams denies his conduct was an “open secret”.

In a letter to the Guardian and ITV journalists, Walliams said he regretted behaving thoughtlessly in some past casual sexual relationships. He denied abusing his power and said he had not broken the law.

His former publisher HarperCollins ended its publishing relationship with him in 2025 and announced in September 2026 that it would stop publishing his back catalogue. Responding to the joint investigation, the company said it took the safety of its people seriously and did not comment on employee matters.