David Walliams denies allegations of grooming and sexual misconduct

David Walliams has been accused by multiple women of using his celebrity status to pursue young women and teenagers for sex, according to a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News. The comedian and children’s author denies wrongdoing.

Two women told the journalists they first met Walliams when they were 15 and accused him of grooming them. Other allegations concern his conduct towards women working on Britain’s Got Talent and at his former publisher, HarperCollins. His lawyers deny allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate workplace behaviour.

The news organisations said they heard from 30 sources with first-hand accounts of Walliams’ conduct and reviewed emails, messages and contemporaneous notes. The number of sources is not the same as the number of women making allegations.

One woman, given the pseudonym Alex, said she met Walliams in 2004 and that he encouraged her writing. She said they later had sex when she was 17, describing the encounters as consensual but saying she felt unable to exert control. Walliams’ lawyers deny that he groomed her and say he believed she was 18 when she later got back in touch.

The Guardian published Alex’s notes about an early phone call and emails exchanged with Walliams. Another woman, called Jade by the newspaper, said Walliams initiated unwanted sexual contact with her when she was 15. He denies having any sexual contact with her. The newspaper reported that two of her friends remembered her telling them at the time about messages from him.

In a letter to the journalists, Walliams said he regretted having sometimes behaved thoughtlessly towards people with whom he had casual sexual relationships. He denied abusing the power that came with fame, adding: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law.”

Court case and workplace allegations

The investigation was published after the High Court dismissed Walliams’ attempt to prevent publication. His lawyers had argued that reporting the allegations posed a serious risk to his mental health. The judge recognised a grave risk but also considered the psychiatric protection available to him and the importance of press freedom. A published legal summary says the court did not decide whether the allegations were true. His lawyers said he would not appeal.

The investigation also described concerns raised by staff about Walliams’ messages to young women working on Britain’s Got Talent. The show’s production companies and broadcaster ITV said they were not aware of complaints about him.

HarperCollins decided in 2025 not to publish new titles by Walliams and announced in September 2026 that it would stop publishing his existing catalogue. The publisher said it took employee wellbeing extremely seriously.