The comedian and children’s author, 55, is alleged to have abused his power and status to contact young women and try to engage in “inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities”.
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comedian → allege → activities
The Guardian and ITV News published a bombshell set of allegations against the celebrity.
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Guardian → publish → celebrity
He had brought legal action against Independent Television News (ITN), which produces news programmes for ITV, Channel 4, Good Morning Britain and Channel 5, and Guardian News and Media (GNM), publisher of The Guardian, to stop them publishing details of a joint-investigation.
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them → bring → investigation
But after that bid failed, details of the allegations were published by the two news organisations.
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details → fail → organisations
They include the following claims:
- Several teenage girls and young women have accused Walliams of preying on them in allegations dating back to 2003
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girls → include → 2003
One woman described an encounter with Walliams at 15 years old as a “sexual assault”
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woman → describe → assault
Another said that Walliams began contacting her when she was 15, after meeting at a Little Britain fan event, before starting a sexual relationship at 17
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she → say → 17
He is accused of “persistently” contacting a production agency for contact details of a young woman he wanted to meet
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he → accuse → woman
Several women have said that Walliams used social media platforms to initiate private contact, sending direct messages to teenage girls, and moving conversations towards sexual or intimate interactions
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Walliams → say → interactions
A number of women allege he used his position as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) to contact young female fans privately, invite them to his dressing room or home, and make unwanted advances
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he → allege → advances
One employee said that he saw very young female guests in Walliams’ dressing room while he was wearing only a towel
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he → say → towel
Another employee said they received £300 from Walliams as a thank-you gift, which a senior colleague called “hush money”
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colleague → say → which
Former HarperCollins employees allege that Walliams sent inappropriate messages to junior female staff
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Walliams → allege → staff
One employee says she raised concerns with management and HR about messages sent to a young colleague, but nothing happened
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nothing → say → colleague
Staff reportedly changed working arrangements to ensure young female employees did not visit Walliams’ home alone
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employees → change → home
Walliams admits to having a sexual relationship with a junior employee who was an intern in 2017, which she subsequently described as consensual but an abuse of power
Walliams’ lawyers and representatives have been contacted for comment.
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lawyers → admit → comment
In response to this investigation, The Guardian said Walliams sent a letter to reporters working on the investigation saying : “Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with...
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I → say → relationships
I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account.
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I → realise → account
That is something I regret.”
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I → regret → ?
He was a judge on the television talent competition BGT between 2012 and 2022, and has had huge success as a children’s author, having sold more than 50 million copies of books.
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He → have → books
His career has also been dogged by controversy, with numerous allegations of inappropriate behaviour and sexual misconduct.
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career → dog → behaviour
He left BGT amid reports that he had made sexually explicit and derogatory remarks about contestants.
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he → leave → contestants
This led to a legal dispute that was settled in 2023.
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that → lead → 2023
Read More
He denied the claims, saying he had "never been informed of any allegations raised against him” or been asked to cooperate with the HarperCollins investigation.
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he → read → investigation