Police investigating children’s author and Little Britain star David Walliams for sex offences

British children’s author and TV personality David Walliams is under investigation for serious sex offence allegations after news outlets reported that he used his fame to groom girls and young women for sex, London police said on Friday (Saturday AEDT).

The Metropolitan Police said it had received several allegations of past abuse following a joint investigation this week by ITV News and The Guardian.

One woman said in the reports that she was sexually assaulted by Walliams at his London home when she was 15, while others accused him of grooming them when they were teens.

Police said the allegations made this week are different from those reported by the news outlets. Investigators, however, will look into the news stories for evidence of other crimes.

Walliams, 55, has denied the allegations, saying he had not broken any laws and was not a sexual predator.

“I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me,” Walliams said in a letter to ITV and the Guardian. “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.”

Film producers distance themselves from best-selling author

Walliams is best known as the co-creator and co-star of BBC’s sketch comedy Little Britain, a hugely popular TV comedy sketch show in the 2000s. He is also a celebrated children’s book author with dozens of published titles that has sold more than 60 million copies worldwide, according to his website.

Several books, including Gangsta Granny, have been adapted into BBC comedy dramas and stage productions.

Producers said they had removed Walliams’ cameo from Fing! – an upcoming film based on another book by the author – and that he “will have no involvement in the film’s release or promotion”. He is credited as a co-writer.

Stan* also confirmed it removed the upcoming film Fing! from its content slate. Seven also scrubbed the 2022 season of Australia’s Got Talent, which featured Walliams as a judge, from its streaming platform.

Walliams was dropped last year by publisher HarperCollins after allegations were made of inappropriate behaviour. Few details were published at the time, but the Guardian reported there were concerns about his behaviour for years, including an allegation that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior female employee.

Australian bookshop chain Dymocks’ chief executive David Allen confirmed that on Wednesday all stores had been told to immediately stop sales of, and remove from shelves, all of Walliams’ books and any related merchandise.

Police offer little detail of new allegations

He was also a judge for a decade on Britain’s Got Talent, though he stepped down in 2022 after apologising for making “disrespectful comments” about auditioning contestants.

Police did not name Walliams, as is customary when someone hasn’t been charged, but said the allegations involved a man in his 50s and were related to the ITV and Guardian report.

The Met did not indicate how many complaints it received or describe the nature of the allegations, or where and when they were said to take place.

The reports into Walliams’ alleged behaviour were published a day after British actor and comedian Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 and a half years for rape and sexual assault. The two stories together drew comparisons and prompted wider soul-searching over whether celebrities in the UK get away with sexual misconduct.

Brand’s accusers in court had come forward after a joint investigation by The Times and Channel 4. Since his sentencing, more women have come forward to make claims against him, The Times reported. Police are also investigating two other cases against him.

The Guardian and ITV said they spoke to more than 100 people during a three-year investigation into Walliams.

Failed effort to keep his name out of the headlines

Walliams had sought a court injunction to prevent the news outlets from identifying him, but a judge rejected the application, saying such a legal measure would be “an exceptionally serious interference” with the media’s rights.

Walliams had claimed that publication of sexual misconduct allegations would lead him to take his own life, but Justice Matthew Nicklin said it was the responsibility of mental health services to look after his safety.

Walliams has not spoken publicly since the story was first reported on Tuesday afternoon.

Police, meanwhile, encouraged any sex offence victim to come forward.