The U.K. celebrity whounsuccessfully fought to keep his identity secret amid “serious” allegations of sexual misconduct against multiple young women has been named as comedian and children’s author David Walliams.
Walliams, one of the U.K’s best-known TV personalities, has been accused of grooming fans as young as 15.
Multiple women alleged that Walliams, a former judge on Britain’s Got Talent, “abused his power and position as a celebrity to prey on them for sexual purposes when they were teenagers or young women,” according to a joint investigation by British media organizations the Guardian and ITV News.
He strongly denies the claims, saying he is “not a sexual predator” and has “not broken the law.”
One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams, which she said happened when she was 15, as a “sexual assault.” The age of consent in the U.K. is 16. Walliams’s lawyers say he denies any sexual contact with the woman and say the allegations of serious criminal conduct are false.
Another said that she was 15 when Walliams first contacted her, and that they were having sex by the time she was 17. Lawyers acting for Walliams say he understood the woman was 18.
Walliamsunsuccessfully tried to use the U.K. legal system to block the publication of the allegations, arguing that it would create a serious risk to his life through suicide. According to ajudgment on Nov. 3, judge Matthew Nicklin accepted that publishing the allegations would substantially increase that risk but dismissed the application. The court did not decide whether the allegations were true.
Who is David Walliams?
Walliams rose to fame on the BBC comedy show Little Britain, which spawned an HBO-produced spinoff titled Little Britain USA in 2008. He was also a judge on Britain’s Got Talentbetween 2012 and 2022. He left the talent show after apologizing for making “disrespectful comments” about the contestants. He received an OBE, one of the U.K.’s top honors, in 2017.
As a children’s author, he has sold a reported 60 million books worldwide. His best-known titles include Gangsta Granny and The Boy in the Dress, which were adapted into BBC films. His publisher, HarperCollins, announced in September that it would no longer publish his back catalog. He was dropped by the publisher in December 2025 following an investigation into inappropriate behavior toward young women.
He had roles in movies including The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Dinner for SchmucksandStardust.
In a letter addressed to journalists working on the investigation, Walliams wrote, “Looking back, I realize that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with.
“I realize I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret. And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did.”
He added: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”
His lawyer, Sara Mansoori KC, argued in court that naming him would be “highly likely” to lead him to try to kill himself, adding that he had previously attempted suicide twice. She said he had “no intention of returning to public life.”
Gavin Millar KC, representing the media outlets, argued that the case risks “dragging judges into assessing the causes of suicidal ideation, which are for professionals and not for a judge.” He added, “The obligation falls on the hospital to keep him safe, and that’s that.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental or emotional health, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Lifeline, or go to988lifeline.org.
