Allegations that David Walliams preyed on girls as young as 15 for sex stretch back more than two decades, with the earliest claims arising just as his TV career was taking off.
uncertain
career → prey → decades
The 55-year-old, who shot to fame with the sketch series Little Britain, is alleged to have 'abused his status' to engage in 'inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities' with several women and girls over two decades.
asserted
who → shoot → decades
He sought a High Court injunction to prevent the claims from being published, claiming he would take his own life were they to be made public.
But a judge refused the application and Walliams did not appeal, paving the way for The Guardian and ITV News to publish a joint investigation drawing on more than 30 first-hand accounts and dozens of other interviews.
uncertain
Guardian → seek → interviews
Walliams' career – built on the camp, flamboyant and outlandish persona that later became his trademark as a Britain's Got Talent (BGT) judge – now faces total collapse, with his books, TV shows and other media effectively cancelled.
asserted
books → build → collapse
The actor, full name David Edward Williams, denies that he is a 'sexual predator', but says he behaved 'thoughtlessly' in previous 'casual sexual relationships'.
asserted
he → deny → relationships
Some of those who spoke out for the investigation asked for their identities to be protected: their allegations, and Walliams' seemingly unstoppable ascension to the top of Britain's celebrity circuit along the way, are detailed below.
asserted
allegations → speak → way
2003: David Walliams picks up the British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Newcomer for Little Britain
2003:
asserted
Walliams → pick → Britain
David Walliams stands with his arm around 18-year-old Lilly Creightmore at a star-studded charity event in London
2004: The moment Alex, then 15, meets Walliams at a Little Britain fan event.
asserted
Alex → stand → event
Walliams was dressed as Little Britain character Lou Todd
2003
Little Britain, the sketch comedy series Walliams created and wrote with long-time friend Matt Lucas, airs on TV for the first time and proves to be an instant hit, earning him a Best TV Comedy Newcomer gong at the British Comedy Awards.
asserted
Walliams → dress → Awards
His Little Britain characters included bedraggled carer Lou Todd, Carol – known for her 'Computer Says No' catchphrase – and crossdresser Emily Howard, described in publicity materials as 'the rubbish transvestite'.
asserted
Computer → include → transvestite
The same year Walliams, then 32, allegedly writes to 18-year-old model Lilly Creightmore after spotting her at a Little Britain recording and a modelling show at an Agent Provocateur store in London, saying he was 'enraptured'.
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he → write → London
She claims Walliams bought her gifts and was 'pursuing me, at a vulnerable age... for sexual gratification', while a former friend of Walliams says the comedian got her details from the producers of show she appeared in at the age of 18.
uncertain
she → claim → 18
Walliams was pictured with an arm around Ms Creightmore at a charity quiz night in London in 2003, next to Jonathan Ross, Ross's wife and screenwriter Jane Goldman, Ricky Gervais, film critic Peter Bradshaw and the film-maker Joe Cornish.
asserted
Walliams → picture → Ross
He said via his lawyers that he denies allegations of grooming or behaving inappropriately, and that her account of their friendship was a 'complete surprise'.
asserted
account → say → friendship
2004
Walliams, dressed as Little Britain character Lou, meets 15-year-old Little Britain fan Alex – not her real name – at a signing event in London.
asserted
Walliams → dress → London
Alex, an aspiring comedy writer, hands him scripts she has been creating, along with her contact details.
asserted
she → hand → details
Walliams allegedly calls her, asking her how old she is, and tells her to stay in touch.
uncertain
she → call → touch
In December, Little Britain cleans up at the British Comedy Awards: the show itself wins Best TV Comedy and the public-voted People's Choice Award, while Walliams and Lucas jointly win Best TV Comedy Actor.
asserted
Walliams → clean → Actor
During the ceremony, host Jonathan Ross jokes that the awards are '15 years old... and like most 15-year-olds, it's drunk, it's unpredictable and it's probably going home with David Walliams'.
asserted
it → joke → Walliams
Walliams responded by laughing, and making the V-sign at Ross.
asserted
Walliams → respond → Ross
Lawyers for Ross told The Guardian he did not write the joke himself.
asserted
he → tell → joke
Alex kept notes of her communications with the star, writing in one note: 'David Walliams phoned me!!'
asserted
Walliams → keep → me
David Walliams as Emily Howard - described in publicity materials as 'the rubbish transvestite' - alongside Matt Lucas in Little Britain
2005: An email Walliams is alleged to have sent to Alex in October of that year, asking her: 'How old are you now?'
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you → describe → her
2005: Two photos that Alex - not her real name - claims she sent to Walliams before they met and had sex when she was 17
2005
Little Britain proves unstoppable: millions watch it each week, and Walliams and Lucas pick up two Baftas and two Rose d'Or awards this year.
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Walliams → claim → Baftas
A stage adaptation, Little Britain Live, begins touring the UK and Ireland in October ahead of a 'Down Under' tour in Australia.
asserted
adaptation → begin → Australia
Shortly before the Australia tour begins, Walliams allegedly emails Alex, asking: 'How old are you now?' and if she was still writing comedy scripts.
uncertain
she → begin → scripts
She says she joked that she was 'old enough to go drinking' but was in fact 17 years old.
asserted
she → say → fact
The tone of Walliams' messages is said to become 'massively sexual' after Alex begins sending him photographs of herself.
asserted
Alex → say → herself
He allegedly propositions her on the phone and, Alex says, requested sexual and nude pictures.
uncertain
Alex → proposition → pictures
Walliams' lawyers said that he believed she was 18 at the time they were messaging, and does not recall or believe that he asked her to send sexual images.
asserted
he → say → images
One segment of Little Britain Live sees Walliams strip completely naked in his role as Sebastian, a ministerial aide who lusts after the Prime Minister – played on TV, and on some live dates, by the late actor Anthony Head.
asserted
who → see → actor
In another, Walliams plays Des Kaye, a paedophilic children's entertainer who plays 'hide the sausage' with audience members – wrestling and groping with showgoers on stage after they hid a prop sausage on their person.
asserted
they → play → person
A BBC review published at the time noted that a performance in Ipswich appeared to involve 'a very embarrassed 17 year old' and 'questionable homo-erotic stances'.
asserted
performance → publish → old
Walliams would later apologise to actor Jeremy Edwards and music producer Mark Ronson after exposing them to large audiences at charity events while performing the same routine in 2006 and 2009.
asserted
Walliams → apologise → 2006
Edwards appeared in a special edition of the live show in 2006 in aid of Comic Relief – which also saw Walliams' friend and convicted rapist Russell Brand appear in a crossdressing sketch.
asserted
friend → appear → sketch
By this time, Brand had sexually assaulted two women.
asserted
Brand → assault → women
There is no suggestion Walliams knew of Brand's offending or was involved in any of the convicted sex offender's wrongdoing.
asserted
Walliams → be → wrongdoing
Walliams buys Supernova Heights, where he is alleged to have had sex with 17-year-old Alex in 2006 and propositioned 15-year-old Jade in 2007.
asserted
he → buy → 2007
He later sold the house for £5.35m
2006:
asserted
He → sell → m
Walliams, playing his paedophile children's entertainer character Des Kaye, exposes actor Jeremy Edwards during a Little Britain event for Comic Relief in London
2006:
asserted
Walliams → play → London
…and 147 more, not listed.
The Aporia
