David Walliams denies inappropriate behaviour claims after being dropped by publisher
Ex-Britain’s Got Talent star was not informed about or party to an investigation by HarperCollins, his spokesperson says
Comedian and children’s author David Walliams has denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour after being dropped by his publisher Harper Collins.
The TV star, known for appearing in comedy shows including Come Fly With Me and Little Britain, “strongly denies” any claims and was not informed about or party to an investigation by HarperCollins, his spokesperson said on Friday evening.
A spokesperson for HarperCollins told The Independent: “After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams.”
It comes after The Telegraph reported the publisher made the decision after he was accused of behaving inappropriately towards young women. A junior colleague is said to have complained about his conduct, leading to other staff members being interviewed.
Former employees alleged to The Telegraph that they were advised to work in pairs when meeting with him and not to visit his home.
A spokesperson for Harper Collins added: “HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns. To respect the privacy of individuals, we do not comment on internal matters.”
A spokesperson for Walliams said in a statement: “David has never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins. He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice.”
Walliams, 54, rose to fame more than 20 years ago through the comedy series Little Britain, alongside Matt Lucas, and has since become one of the UK’s most established and successful award-winning children’s authors, selling an estimated 60 million copies worldwide.
His books have been adapted for television by the BBC and are widely used in schools, with Harper Collins stating that they have been translated into 55 languages.
In recent years, Walliams has faced criticism after he was caught making obscene comments about contestants on Britain’s Got Talent.
In 2022, a leaked transcript revealed that he called one auditioning contestant a “c***” and said of another: “She thinks you want to f*** her, but you don't.”
The remarks were made during an audition at the London Palladium in early 2020 and leaked to The Guardian, with Walliams subsequently leaving his role.
At the time, Walliams said that he wanted to apologise for the “disrespectful comments” and that they were part of a private conversation which was “never intended to be shared”. His comments were picked up by the microphones on the desk and were seemingly not intended to be heard publicly – and he sued FremantleMedia, the production company that makes BGT, for the leaking of his private remarks. The matter was settled in November 2023.
He also sparked outcry after giving two Nazi salutes during a recording of BBC series Would I Lie To You?’s Christmas special. He reportedly gave the offensive salutes while filming the episode with host Rob Brydon after an anecdote that was shared by Call the Midwife star Helen George.
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