Bosses of Britain’s Got Talent have urged people who “feel they’ve been the subject of wrongdoing” to get in touch.
Bosses of Britain’s Got Talent have urged people who “feel they’ve been the subject of wrongdoing” to speak up in the wake of the David Walliams documentary.
The former Little Britain star, 55, who served as a judge on the ITV talent show from 2012 until 2022, was the subject of a joint investigation by the Guardian and ITV News has now been published online and it features a number of women telling how Walliams is said to have allegedly preyed on them for sexual purposes.
Now, the company behind ITV’s long-running competition series has claimed that whilst Walliams was not at the centre of any complaint during his tenure on the show, they would now like anyone who feels that they need to speak out to do so.
A spokesperson for Fremantle UK who make BGT told Deadline: “We are disturbed and concerned at these serious allegations. David Walliams has not been a judge on Britain’s Got Talent for more than four years.
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“During his time on the show and in the intervening period, no complaint was ever made regarding his behaviour to Fremantle UK. If anyone feels they have been the subject of any impropriety or wrongdoing by anyone on any Fremantle or associated labels’ productions, we encourage them to come forward.
“We will treat any complaints seriously. Protecting the welfare of our employees, freelancers, contributors and fans has always been and absolutely remains paramount for the company.”
In the investigation a woman identified as Alex claims Walliams first began contacting her when she was 15, after meeting her at a Little Britain fan event, and alleges they started a sexual relationship when she was 17. Asked how she feels about him now, she said: “I think I was groomed. 100%.”
Alex says she sent him some recent pictures of herself when she was 17, though claimed she was old enough to drink. She says he asked for more pictures and when she said what her evening plans were, he allegedly replied: “You in the bath is a nice thought.” She responded: “Hmm.. You in the bath with me is a nicer thought… hehe…”
She said: “He was asking for photos and at first I would send photos of my face and then it was photos of my underwear and then he would put a lot of pressure on me, telling me how to pose and then I would actually be naked. He was asking me to do things I had not done before and there was that imbalance.”
Another accuser, who is named as Jade in the joint investigation, alleges she was sexually assaulted by Walliams when she was 15. The TV star, now 55, contacted her online via MySpace, where her age was visible, and then after exchanging some emails Jade says they then met in a cafe in London before the comedian drove her to his home.
She claims: “He lifted my top up and sucked on my breast and then tried to put my hand down his trousers. That’s when I pulled away and said ‘no’. ‘I wasn’t ready for sex. I didn’t want to do that, with him or with anyone. I didn’t want to be touched in that way at all. I mean, I was only a 15-year-old.”
Walliams was 36 at the time and Jade says even though it was a long time ago, the experience has stayed with her for the last 19 years. Jade told the investigation: “I struggle with it sometimes – if I think about it a bit too much, about the reality of what happened.”
She added in her claims: “It’s a sexual assault. It’s grooming. It’s completely wrong in every way.”
Walliams strongly denies that he had any sexual contact with Jade. He says he rejects any allegations of criminal activity and says he has never engaged in the grooming of young women.
He sent a letter to journalists working on this investigation and 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. 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.”
Walliams left Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 after he apologised for making “disrespectful comments” about auditioning contestants during filming breaks in January 2020 at the London Palladium.
In 2023, Britain’s Got Talent producer Fremantle apologised and reached an “amicable resolution” with Walliams after the remarks he made while on the show were leaked. David Walliams: Power and Silence is available to watch on YouTube and ITVX.
The Metropolitan Police said today: “We’re aware of reports in the media in relation to allegations involving a man in his 50s.“The Met has not received any related reports of sexual assault or any other offences. Should we receive any reports, they will be carefully assessed. Anyone who contacts the police will be supported by specialist officers.“Last week, we contacted the media organisations that were involved in civil proceedings relating to the protection of the identity of that individual, to ensure that any potential victims who they have spoken to could be made aware of how they could report any criminal allegations to police.“Reports can be made by calling 101, providing the reference 4900/10NOV26.”
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