David Walliams Faces Grooming Allegations From Multiple Women

Multiple women have accused the comedian and children's author David Walliams of grooming teenage fans and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at his house, according to a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News published on 10 November 2026. Walliams, who is 55, has denied targeting teenagers or using his fame to manipulate them into sex, through his lawyers.

Walliams became widely known for the BBC sketch show Little Britain, which aired in the early 2000s. He later became one of the UK's best-known writers for children, with more than 40 books, including Mr. Stink, Gangsta Granny and The Boy in the Dress. His books have been translated into more than 50 languages and have sold a reported 50 million copies. He was also a judge on ITV's Britain's Got Talent, and stepped down in 2022 after apologising for "disrespectful comments" about contestants.

In 2025, his publisher HarperCollins dropped him after accusations of harassing young female colleagues, which he denied.

The new allegations include accounts from two women, who are identified in reporting only by the first names "Jade" and "Alex." Jade alleged that Walliams, then 36, contacted her in 2007 through a social media page that showed her age as 15, and invited her to his house. His lawyers denied any sexual contact with her.

Alex said she first met Walliams when she was a 15-year-old aspiring comedy writer and he was 32. She alleged that sexual conduct first took place at his home when she was 17 and he was 34. His lawyers told The Guardian that he believed she was 18.

In a letter to journalists published by The Guardian, Walliams said he "behaved thoughtlessly."

Earlier this month, Walliams asked the High Court for an injunction, a court order that would have stopped ITV News and The Guardian from naming him. A High Court judge refused the request. A summary of the judgement said that some of the alleged conduct could amount to criminal offences if proven.

His lawyer, Sara Mansoori, told the court that Walliams had attempted suicide after receiving letters seeking a response to the allegations. She said he was admitted to hospital for psychiatric care in October 2026.

The BBC said it was removing some programmes and would review "all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms" in light of the investigation.