David Walliams accused of grooming teenage girls and sexual harassment

British comedian David Walliams has been accused of grooming teenage fans, having sex with a 17-year-old girl, and sexually harassing women in the workplace, according to a joint investigation by the Guardian and ITV News.

He is best known for co-creating and starring in the BBC comedy series Little Britain, and for serving as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent from 2012 to 2022. He is also a bestselling children's author, having written books including Gangsta Granny, The Boy in the Dress, and Mr Stink.

Walliams, 55, hosted the Malta Film Awards in 2022 and the Mediterrane Film Festival in 2023 and 2024.

The investigation, published on Tuesday, includes allegations from a woman who claimed she was just 15 when Walliams first contacted her by telephone in January 2004, while she was studying for her GCSEs.

“Hi, it’s David Walliams,” she recalled him saying. “You know, off the telly!”

Days earlier, she had attended a fan event where Walliams signed photographs of himself in character. She recalled him telling her that she was a “very attractive lady.”

The two remained in contact and, by the time she was 17, she claims they were having sex.

Her account was among several allegations uncovered by the Guardian and ITV News, which heard from 30 sources with first-hand knowledge of Walliams' alleged conduct.

Most of the women who came forward were over 18 when they interacted with Walliams, although several reported first encountering the comedian when they were much younger.

Walliams has denied the allegations, including claims of grooming, sexual harassment, and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.

“Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with,” Walliams wrote in a letter to journalists working on the investigation, according to the Guardian.

“I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”

Walliams had also sought an injunction from the UK High Court to prevent the Guardian and ITV News from publishing the allegations.

His lawyers argued that publication posed a serious risk to his life, telling the court that Walliams had previously attempted suicide twice after learning of the allegations and was at risk of doing so again if they became public. It refused his request.