David Walliams named in misconduct allegations

On November 10, 2026, the Guardian and ITV News published allegations by multiple women against comedian and author David Walliams, naming him after a court rejected his injunction bid. He denies wrongdoing.

Updated November 11, 2026, 9:08 AM UTC · Since 2026-11-10 · 32 articles and posts from 20 sources.

What happened

• Nov 11The BBC said it was removing some programmes, including Little Britain, while it reviews all material featuring and written by David Walliams. Australian producers of the film Fing!, which Walliams co-wrote, said his cameo was removed, and the streaming service Stan dropped it. ABC News (Australia), The Guardian (World)
• Nov 11Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the claims were the "latest in a long line of reported abuses of power" and promised to meet senior media and entertainment figures to "draw a line in the sand". Jonathan Ross said he was "genuinely unaware" of the conduct of Walliams or Russell Brand, despite a 2004 joke about Walliams and a 15-year-old. The Guardian (World)
• Nov 10The Guardian and ITV News published a joint investigation in which multiple women accuse David Walliams of using his celebrity status to prey on young women and teenagers for sex. The outlets said they heard from 30 sources with first-hand accounts. Walliams denies any wrongdoing. The Guardian (World)
• Nov 10A woman identified as Jade said Walliams contacted her via MySpace in 2007 when she was 15 and he was 36, and initiated sexual contact at his home. A woman identified as Alex said she met him at a fan event at 15 when he was 32, and that they had consensual sex at 17. Walliams's lawyers deny sexual contact with Jade and deny grooming Alex, saying he believed she was 18. UPI, Anadolu Agency (state media), CNA (state media)
• Nov 10Walliams, 55, wrote a letter to the journalists saying he "behaved thoughtlessly" in casual relationships. He wrote "I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law", and that abusing a power imbalance was something he never did. RTÉ News, CNA (state media)
• Nov 10The Metropolitan Police said it had received no reports of offences so far and had contacted the Guardian and ITV News so potential victims could learn how to report. The Labour Party suspended Walliams's membership, and Downing Street called the allegations "deeply troubling". Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones said the government is "concerned" about the use of injunctions. CBC News, GB News, RTÉ News
• Nov 10The BBC took down some programmes including Little Britain, and his literary agency Independent Talent Group said it no longer represents him. Alton Towers had earlier closed its World of David Walliams attraction, and HarperCollins had dropped him in December 2025 after reports of harassment of junior female staff, which he denies. Irish bookshops began pulling his titles. ABC News (Australia), TheJournal.ie
• Nov 3Justice Matthew Nicklin at the High Court in London dismissed Walliams's injunction bid, which argued publication would make him highly likely to take his own life. The judge accepted a serious risk but called an injunction an "exceptionally serious interference" with free expression, and said the court had not decided whether the allegations were true. Walliams did not appeal by the Monday 9 November deadline. RTÉ News, Anadolu Agency (state media), The Straits Times

How the story is being told

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Where the coverage agrees

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What each outlet chose to include. Different isn’t wrong.

How the framing changed, week by week

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What the photos show

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The Guardian (World) · Revealed: David Walliams accused of using celebrity status to prey on young women for sex original ↗

Shows: A collage of two men's faces, one black-and-white on the left and one in color on the right.

Caption: “Many of the women who spoke out said their interactions with Walliams were distressing and that they were still affected by the experience years later. Composite: Guardian Design/ITV/Rex/Shutterstock”

The Guardian (World) · ‘It wasn’t long until he asked me if I’d ever had sex before’: David Walliams accused of preying on young women for sex original ↗

Shows: Collage of distorted face fragments on a dark background.

TheJournal.ie · David Walliams named as celebrity behind failed injunction to prevent reporting of allegations original ↗

Shows: A close-up of a smiling man with short graying hair and a salt-and-pepper beard.

RTÉ News · Multiple women accuse Walliams of sexual misconduct original ↗

Shows: A man with short graying hair and a gray beard, wearing a black tuxedo and bow tie.

Anadolu Agency (state media) · David Walliams accused of grooming girls as young as 15 after losing injunction bid original ↗

Shows: A smiling man with short graying hair and a trimmed beard wears a navy suit, white shirt.

The Times of India · David Walliams unmasked as mystery British celebrity facing sexual misconduct allegations, who took media organizations to court to stop his identity from being revealed original ↗

The Daily Beast · BBC Star Accused of Shocking Sexual Misconduct After Legal Battle original ↗

Shows: A smiling man with short graying hair wears a dark suit, black shirt, and patterned tie.

Hindustan Times · David Walliams speaks out as High Court dismisses injunction bid over sexual misconduct allegations: ‘I am devastated’ original ↗

Caption: “David Walliams faces allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment, which he denies, after a court refused to block media reports (AP)”

The Times of India · David Walliams’ London home on sale for £10.5 million amid sexual misconduct involving teenage fans original ↗

RT (state media) · UK’s bestselling children’s author named in sex abuse scandal original ↗

TheJournal.ie · What is an injunction and why couldn't David Walliams be named until now? original ↗

Shows: A smiling man in a blue suit, black shirt.

ABC News (Australia) · Little Britain star David Walliams accused of using fame to groom teenagers original ↗

Shows: A smiling man with short graying hair wears a dark jacket over a light blue collared shirt.

Caption: “David Walliams has been accused of inappropriate behaviour towards young women and girls, dating back decades. He denies the accusations.” Photo: ( Reuters: Hannah McKay )

GB News · David Walliams accuser revealed as Andy Burnham's senior adviser as comedian suspended from Labour original ↗

Shows: A smiling man with gray-flecked hair and a beard wears a houndstooth blazer over a black turtleneck.

NZ Herald · Comedian and children’s author David Walliams accused of grooming young girls for sex original ↗

Shows: A smiling man with short graying hair and a gray beard wears a bright blue blazer over a dark shirt.

The Straits Times · UK children's author Walliams named as subject of sexual allegations by media original ↗

Shows: A smiling man with short graying hair wears a dark jacket over a light blue collared shirt.

TheJournal.ie · 'He's going to be pulped': Irish bookshops take David Walliams titles off the shelves original ↗

Shows: A man in a dark suit holds up "Awful Auntie" by David Walliams before bookshelves marked FICTION.

CBC News · David Walliams, U.K. comedian and author, accused of preying on teenage girls original ↗

Shows: A man in a dark suit and patterned tie stands before a backdrop with large.

Caption: “Comedian David Walliams, pictured here at a movie premier in 2019, has been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct, including grooming them at a young age. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters)” Photo: Henry Nicholls/Reuters

NDTV · UK Comedian And Children's Author David Williams Accused Of 'Grooming Girls' original ↗

Al Jazeera (state-funded) · UK children’s author David Walliams accused of grooming minors original ↗

Shows: A man in a dark blazer and light blue collared shirt leans on a blue railing with his hands clasped.

Caption: “David Walliams has denied targeting teenagers and using his fame to manipulate them to have sex [File: Matthew Childs/Action Images/Reuters]”

NZ Herald · David Walliams’ Regent’s Park home on sale for $25m original ↗

CNA (state media) · UK children's author David Walliams accused of sex assault, grooming teens original ↗

Shows: A smiling man in a dark blazer stands before a purple backdrop showing 'The Choral' and 'BFI London Film Festival.'

Caption: “David Walliams poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film The Choral during the London film festival in London, on Oct 12, 2025. (Photo: AP/Scott A Garfitt)”

Guardian Australia · Morning Mail: David Walliams accused of preying on young women; Greens’ fury at Labor; and a statue mocks Trump original ↗

Caption: “Many women who spoke out about David Walliams said they were still affected by the experience years later. Composite: Guardian Design/ITV/REX/Shutterstock”

NZ Herald · David Walliams epitomises a society that refuses to take responsibility original ↗

Shows: A smiling man with short graying hair wears a gray checked jacket and light blue collared shirt.

The Daily Caller · The Guardian Reveals ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ Judge One Who Threatened To Off Himself If Sexual Harassment Allegations Got Out original ↗

Shows: A smiling man with short graying hair and a gray beard wears a bright blue blazer over a black shirt.

Caption: “Mediterrane Film Festival 2024 MALTA, MALTA - JUNE 30: David Walliams attends the Mediterrane Film Festival 2024 at Fort Manoel on June 30, 2024 in Malta, Malta. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for The Mediterrane Film Festival)”

UPI · British comedian David Walliams faces allegations of grooming teens, young women original ↗

Caption: “British actor David Walliams poses with Balinese dancers at Chelsea Flower Show in 2018. Walliams faces allegations of inappropriate with women and teen girls. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo”

TheJournal.ie · Jonathan Ross ‘horrified’ by allegations about David Walliams and crimes of Russell Brand original ↗

Shows: A smiling man with dark hair wears a black jacket with leopard-print panels over a leopard-print shirt.

ABC News (Australia) · David Walliams cut from star-studded kids' movie filmed in Queensland original ↗

Shows: A man in a grey t-shirt holds a clapperboard reading 'FiNG!' beside a curly-haired girl in a floral bedroom.

Caption: “A movie based off a David Walliams book has dropped all association with him.” Photo: ( Supplied: King Bert Productions/Story Bridge Films )

ABC News (Australia) · How grooming claims against David Walliams came to light original ↗

Shows: A smiling man in a dark suit.

Caption: “David Walliams has been accused of allegedly grooming and preying on teenage girls.” Photo: ( Reuters: Henry Nicholls )

The Independent · Walliams and Brand were leading UK comics. Now they are part of a reckoning over sexual misconduct original ↗

Shows: A man with long, wavy dark hair and a grey-flecked beard wears dark sunglasses and a black jacket.

ABC News (Australia) · 'Trouble causer': Whistleblower worried after exposing Walliams allegations original ↗

Shows: A woman with blonde hair tied back, wearing an orange cardigan with white-and-red striped trim, sits in a room.

Caption: “Lucy Beaumont has spoken to Sky News about her involvement in the reporting.” Photo: ( Supplied: Sky News )

NZ Herald · How David Walliams’ mask slipped as allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour and grooming emerge original ↗

The Guardian (World) · Jonathan Ross ‘horrified’ by David Walliams and Russell Brand revelations original ↗

Shows: Two men pose side by side outdoors.

Caption: “Jonathan Ross and David Walliams at the Cannes film festival in France, in May 2011. Photograph: Shutterstock”

All the coverage, by day

How we found the coverage

From our feeds: The Guardian (World), TheJournal.ie, RTÉ News, Anadolu Agency (state media), The Times of India, The Daily Beast, Hindustan Times, RT (state media), ABC News (Australia), GB News, NZ Herald, The Straits Times, CBC News, NDTV, Al Jazeera (state-funded), CNA (state media), Guardian Australia, The Daily Caller, UPI, The Independent.

Each item was kept only after a check that it is about this story. Wire copies that other outlets ran word for word are named and counted once. Sources are grouped by kind (US outlets, international outlets, wire services, the US government, state media), not by any rating of the outlets. State media are outlets a government owns or editorially controls, as Wikipedia’s article on each describes it. The summary and the descriptions of each telling are written by AI from the coverage; every quote is checked against the source’s own words. A source’s name and each article’s title link to our analysis of it where we have one; “original ↗” opens the publisher’s page.