David Walliams has been named in a joint investigation by ITV News and The Guardian into allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour involving multiple women. The comedian and children’s author denies wrongdoing and says he has not broken the law.
The investigation, published on Tuesday 10 November, reports allegations concerning Walliams’ conduct towards young women over a period of several years, including claims involving professional relationships and interactions with fans.
The two news organisations said they had spoken to 30 sources with first-hand accounts of Walliams’ conduct and examined material including emails, social media messages and contemporaneous notes. The figure refers to sources, not 30 women making allegations.
The publication follows a legal challenge in which Walliams sought to prevent the organisations from reporting their findings.
What the investigation reports
Among the accounts published by ITV News and The Guardian are those of two women who said they first met Walliams when they were 15. Now in their 30s, both described their experiences as grooming and said the impact had stayed with them for years.
The investigation also includes accounts from young models and fans who said they received unsolicited messages from Walliams on social media when they were aged between 17 and 22.
Other allegations concern interactions with women in professional settings, including people connected to the television programme Britain’s Got Talent and the publishing industry. The journalists reported speaking to people who said they had experienced or witnessed alleged harassment of young women in workplace environments.
The allegations span several years and different professional and personal settings. They are allegations reported by the two news organisations and have not been established by a criminal court.
Walliams denies wrongdoing
Walliams has strongly rejected the allegations.
In a letter sent to the journalists investigating the claims, he said: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law.”
He acknowledged that he had sometimes behaved thoughtlessly towards people with whom he had casual sexual relationships and said he regretted not always taking their feelings properly into account.
However, he rejected the suggestion that he had abused the power or influence associated with his public profile. He said that while a power imbalance could exist when one person was famous, he had not abused that position.
His lawyers also denied allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.
The production companies behind Britain’s Got Talent and ITV separately told the news organisations they were not aware of complaints about Walliams.
Why did Walliams take the case to the High Court?
Before publication, Walliams brought legal proceedings against Independent Television News, which produces ITV News, and Guardian News & Media, the publisher of The Guardian.
He sought a permanent injunction that would have prevented the organisations from publishing or broadcasting the allegations.
The case was heard in the High Court before Mr Justice Nicklin. On 3 November, the judge dismissed Walliams’ application.
The judge recognised the seriousness of the consequences publication could have for Walliams’ private and family life. However, he also considered the rights of the media organisations, their sources and the public to receive information on matters of public interest.
In his judgment, he described the journalism as concerning “matters of substantial public interest” and concluded that the injunction sought would represent an “exceptionally serious interference” with freedom of expression.
The judge also considered the interests of the sources who wished to communicate their experiences publicly.
Importantly, the court did not determine whether the allegations were true or false. The proceedings concerned whether publication should be prevented, not whether Walliams had committed the conduct alleged. The dismissal of the injunction application should not be interpreted as a finding of wrongdoing or as a judicial endorsement of every allegation reported.
Walliams was granted permission to appeal. His identity remained protected while the opportunity to appeal was available. His lawyers subsequently confirmed that he would not pursue an appeal by the deadline of 4.30pm on Monday 9 November.
Following the conclusion of that process, ITV News and The Guardian published their investigation.
Previous publishing relationship
The investigation also revisited the end of Walliams’ publishing relationship with HarperCollins.
In December 2025, the publisher announced that it would not publish any new titles by Walliams. The Guardian reported that the decision followed an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards female employees.HarperCollins said it took employee wellbeing seriously and had processes for reporting and investigating concerns. It declined to comment on internal matters.
Walliams‘ lawyers have denied allegations of inappropriate workplace behaviour. The publisher’s decision should be understood separately from the allegations in the newly published investigation and does not amount to a finding by a court.
What happens next?
The joint investigation has raised questions about the use of professional influence and celebrity status, as well as the way concerns about alleged misconduct are handled in television and publishing.
Walliams continues to deny the allegations. No criminal conviction or High Court finding of wrongdoing has resulted from the claims reported in the investigation.
Readers can consult the original reporting by The Guardian and ITV News, alongside the Guardian’s explanation of the High Court proceedings.
The distinction remains important: the allegations have been published following a legal challenge, but their truth has not been determined by the court.
Sriya Sarkar, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
