Met Police Confirm Investigation Into David Walliams Over Serious Sexual Offences

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that it is investigating comedian David Walliams for serious sexual offences. The force made the announcement on Friday 13 November.

The police said they had received a number of allegations of non-recent offences, meaning offences that are alleged to have happened some time ago. The allegations involve a man now in his 50s. Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney's team is leading the investigation. The Met says these allegations are separate from the ones reported by ITN and The Guardian.

Those earlier reports came out this week. A Guardian investigation, published alongside an ITV News documentary, accused Walliams of sexually abusing a teenage girl, grooming young fans and sexual harassment. Met detectives are now reviewing that reporting to establish whether there is evidence of offences. Walliams has denied all the allegations.

Earlier this month, Walliams asked a court for an injunction, a legal order that would have stopped The Guardian and ITV News from publishing the story. A judge refused the application. In his application, Walliams claimed that publication would lead him to take his own life.

Walliams is best known as a comedian and as a former judge on Britain's Got Talent, the long-running television talent show. He has not been charged with any offence. Being under investigation means the police are gathering and assessing evidence. It does not mean that a charge will follow, and none of the allegations have been tested in court.

For anyone who has followed his work on television, the news is serious and still developing. The police have not set out a timetable for their review, and the allegations remain unproven.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, support is available. In the UK, Rape Crisis England and Wales runs a helpline, and the police can be contacted on 101 for non-emergencies or 999 in an emergency.