A joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News has named David Walliams as the celebrity at its centre. It covers allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming. The Guardian and ITV News published the investigation on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. The 55-year-old comedian, children’s author and former Britain’s Got Talent judge denies all of the allegations. He said: “I am…
A joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News has named David Walliams as the celebrity at its centre. It covers allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming. The Guardian and ITV News published the investigation on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. The 55-year-old comedian, children’s author and former Britain’s Got Talent judge denies all of the allegations. He said: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law.”
According to the two news organisations, the investigation took three years. In addition, it involved speaking to more than 100 people. For instance, that group included more than 30 sources with first-hand knowledge of Walliams’s conduct. The allegations reported date back to 2003. They cover his contact with teenage fans and young women. They also cover his behaviour at Britain’s Got Talent and HarperCollins. No court has tested any of the allegations. Police have reported no investigation or criminal charges.
Key Facts
- REPORTED: The Guardian and ITV News published a three-year joint investigation on November 10, 2026, naming David Walliams.
- REPORTED: Multiple women allege he used his fame and status to pursue young women and teenagers for sex. The claims reported date back to 2003.
- REPORTED: Two women say they first met him when they were 15. One described her alleged encounter at 15 as a “sexual assault”.
- REPORTED: The allegations also cover his time as a Britain’s Got Talent judge (2012–2022) and at HarperCollins, which ended its relationship with him in December 2025.
- REPORTED: David Walliams allegations: Walliams denies all of the allegations.
- NOT ESTABLISHED: No finding of guilt — nothing has been tested in court, and no police investigation or criminal charges have been reported.
David Walliams Allegations: What Are They?
Other reporting quotes The Guardian’s summary of its own investigation. It says Walliams allegedly “groomed fans he knew were as young as 15 and harassed women in the workplace over a number of years”. Meanwhile, the investigation reports it contacted women through social media and modelling agencies. Women who spoke to the reporters described him as “predatory” and “pushy”. For example, one woman alleged he repeatedly pressured her for sex.
Two Women Say They First Met Walliams at 15
Two women now in their 30s say they first met Walliams at 15. For example, one says she met him at a Little Britain fan signing in January 2004, when he was 32. She alleges the relationship became sexual when she was 17.
The other says he contacted her on MySpace in August 2007. At that time, she was 15, and he was 36. He invited her to his house. She described what she says happened there as “sexual assault” and “grooming”. Walliams’s lawyers have denied he had any sexual contact with her. They also say he never engaged in the grooming of young women.
Overall, most of the women who spoke to the investigation were over 18 at the time. That is how Chortle describes The Guardian’s reporting. However, not all of them were.
What Is Alleged About Britain’s Got Talent and HarperCollins?
The allegations also cover his decade as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent. For instance, they include claims he sent inappropriate messages to female runners on the show. A former junior employee alleged he walked into Walliams’s dressing room. There, he found two “very young” people. Walliams was wearing only a towel at the time.
Meanwhile, the investigation reports allegations of harassment of junior female staff at HarperCollins. The company changed working practices so it no longer sent young women alone to his home. In addition, allegations say he had a sexual relationship with at least one junior employee. He also pursued another. According to the investigation’s reporting, Walliams acknowledged a sexual relationship with a young intern there in 2017.
HarperCollins ended its relationship with Walliams in December 2025. The decision followed an internal investigation. Later, in September 2026, the publisher said it would no longer publish his back catalogue. Walliams left Britain’s Got Talent in 2022. His departure followed the publication of leaked recordings of him making sexually explicit remarks about contestants.
Fremantle and ITV Respond to the Allegations
Fremantle UK, the production company behind Britain’s Got Talent, said it was “disturbed and concerned at these serious allegations”. It also added that it had never received a complaint. The same applied to the broadcaster and the regulator. That covers his time on the show and the four years since. ITV said it was “sorry” to hear the concerns raised.
How Did the Investigation Become Public?
Walliams took legal action against Independent Television News (ITN) and Guardian News and Media. In fact, he sought a permanent injunction to stop publication. After a two-day trial in October, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed the bid. He ruled the investigation concerned matters of substantial public interest. At the same time, the court gave Walliams anonymity during the proceedings. Once the bid failed, that anonymity ended.
Walliams did not appeal by the Monday afternoon deadline. So the two organisations were free to publish. Finally, the investigation appeared on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. It appeared alongside ITV’s hour-long documentary, David Walliams: Power and Silence.
What Has Walliams Said in Response?
In response to the David Walliams allegations, Walliams denies all of the allegations. That includes any criminal activity, grooming and workplace sexual harassment. In a letter to the journalists working on the investigation, he wrote: “Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with… I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account.”
He also said he was “devastated” his accusers had “expressed hurt or anger”. At the same time, his lawyers said allegations of serious criminal conduct are false.
What Happens Next?
The documentary David Walliams: Power and Silence airs on Tuesday, November 10, at 10:50pm on ITV. At the same time, it is already available on ITV News YouTube and ITVX. The BBC is reviewing all material featuring and written by Walliams. As a result, it is removing some programmes, including Little Britain, while that review is under way. A BBC spokesperson said: “These are serious allegations. As such, the BBC is looking carefully at all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms.”
Within hours of publication, the Independent Talent Group ended its representation of Walliams. The Labour Party suspended his membership at the same time. Downing Street described the allegations as “deeply troubling”. However, police have reported no investigation or criminal charges. In fact, no court has tested anything in the investigation. This article will be updated.
Timeline: What Happened and When
| When | What happened (as reported) |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Earliest alleged conduct reported in the investigation. |
| January 2004 | One woman alleges Walliams first contacted her when she was 15; she alleges the relationship became sexual when she was 17. |
| August 2007 | Another woman alleges Walliams contacted her on MySpace when she was 15 and invited her to his house. |
| 2012–2022 | Walliams serves as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent. |
| 2022 | Walliams leaves Britain’s Got Talent after leaked recordings of sexually explicit remarks about contestants. |
| December 2025 | HarperCollins ends its publishing relationship with Walliams after an internal investigation. |
| September 2026 | HarperCollins says it will no longer publish Walliams’s back catalogue. |
| October 2026 | Two-day High Court trial over Walliams’s bid to block publication of the investigation. |
| November 3, 2026 | Mr Justice Nicklin dismisses the injunction bid. |
| November 9, 2026 | Deadline to appeal passes without an appeal from Walliams. |
| November 10, 2026 | The Guardian and ITV News publish the investigation; Walliams is named. The documentary David Walliams: Power and Silence airs at 10:50pm on ITV. |
Sources: The Guardian and ITV News joint investigation (published November 10, 2026); PA Media; AFP; Parade; Chortle; Radio Times; TV Guide; LADbible; Far Out Magazine; BritBrief. Full source list in the article notes.
