TV chiefs face a legal crackdown to make them protect girls from predatory entertainers following the David Walliams and Russell Brand scandals.
asserted
them → face → scandals
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is hauling broadcasters in for a showdown next week after it was claimed that Walliams' alleged preying on young women was – as with Brand – an 'open secret' in the industry.
asserted
preying → haul → industry
Both are said to have become so powerful, and were so lucrative for broadcasters, their behaviour went unchallenged.
asserted
behaviour → say → broadcasters
The children's author and TV star, 55, has denied claims that he groomed schoolgirls, sexually assaulted a 15-year-old and pestered teenagers for sex.
uncertain
he → deny → sex
He said he was 'not a sexual predator'.
asserted
he → say → ?
Ms Nandy vowed to 'draw a line in the sand' when she meets entertainment leaders – threatening laws to clean up the industry if they do not act.
asserted
they → vow → industry
She said: 'A decade and a half on from the revelations about Jimmy Savile, and ten years on from the MeToo movement, we must finally take meaningful steps to end abuse and harassment.'
No10 called the Walliams allegations 'deeply troubling', and said there was 'a pattern of behaviour that needs to change'.
Former Britain's Got Talent judge Walliams allegedly used his star power to lure young women to his dressing room and his £3.5million north London house.
Russell Brand and David Walliams are pictured together at the British Comedy Awards in London in December 2006
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy (pictured this week) is hauling broadcasters in for a showdown next week after it was claimed that Walliams' alleged preying on young women was – as with Brand – an 'open secret' in the industry
A string of teenagers and young women made allegations of sexual misconduct to an investigation by The Guardian and ITV News.
uncertain
string → say → Guardian
Walliams threatened to kill himself if they were published, but failed to secure a court injunction preventing the Press from naming him.
asserted
they → threaten → him
Walliams is understood to be in a psychiatric hospital, just days after rapist Brand was jailed for more than ten years.
asserted
Brand → understand → years
Chatshow host Jonathan Ross, who knew both, apologised for a tasteless joke he made to the 2004 comedy awards about a 15-year-old 'probably going home' with Walliams.
asserted
old → know → Walliams
Ross said he was 'horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand'.
asserted
he → say → Brand
He said he had once been friendly with both, adding: 'During that period I was genuinely unaware of their conduct.'
asserted
I → say → conduct
A photo from 2003 shows Ross with Walliams and one of his accusers.
asserted
photo → show → accusers
Lilly Creightmore was 18 when Walliams invited her to stay at his home.
asserted
Walliams → invite → home
She told Newsnight: 'One night I think he put his head in my lap and sort of be like, "Are you sure you don't want to come and sleep in my bed with me?"
asserted
you → tell → me
I had an inner strength, like "No".'
asserted
I → have → strength
Comedian Lucy Beaumont, one of the investigation's whistleblowers, said a young TV worker told her 'his job was to take young girls to Walliams' dressing room'.
asserted
job → say → room
The youngsters were over 16, she said, but 'were working-class girls and some had never been to London before'.
asserted
some → say → London
She said: 'I was worried these girls were young.
asserted
girls → say → ?
I tried to contact some of them to ask if they were all right.
asserted
they → try → them
One was 'in a really bad way' and Walliams' lawyers had told her to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to secure her silence.
asserted
lawyers → tell → silence
Ms Beaumont said the NDA 'against someone who was groomed as a child' stopped her telling her family or a therapist.
asserted
her → say → family
Dermot McNamara, a TV agent, said he raised concerns with 'authorities and broadcasters' about Walliams after a client, who was 16 when she was taken backstage at BGT, was invited to Walliams' home where allegedly 'inappropriate behaviour' happened.
uncertain
behaviour → say → home
He said he reported the incident, which allegedly took place ten years ago, but nothing happened.
uncertain
nothing → say → place
Chatshow host Jonathan Ross (pictured on Wednesday) apologised yesterday for a tasteless joke he made to the 2004 comedy awards about a 15-year-old 'probably going home' with Walliams
Former BGT make-up artist Lou Teasdale claimed it was 'standard protocol' for young girls to be made to sign NDAs – and have their phones taken away – before being left alone with famous men.
asserted
phones → picture → men
HarperCollins, which sold more than 60million copies of Walliams' books, dumped him a year ago over claims that he harassed young female staff, which he denies.
uncertain
he → sell → which
Walliams has denied all the allegations.
asserted
Walliams → deny → allegations
His lawyers said he had never groomed young women or had sex with underage girls.
asserted
he → say → girls
ITV said Fremantle, the production company behind BGT, had confirmed 'that no complaint has ever been made to them about David Walliams', adding: 'We are completely committed at ITV to creating an environment where everyone is treated with respect.'
Equalities minister Bridget Phillipson said the Government should restrict the use of NDAs – and even consider a ban.
How did Russell Brand become a predator?
asserted
Brand → say → ban
What comes next?
asserted
What → come → ?
Get exclusive insight from The Crime Desk as we talk to police, psychologists, lawyers and more.
asserted
we → get → police
After the appalling thing Jonathan Ross said to ME, why I refuse to believe that he was 'genuinely unaware' of what Russell Brand and David Walliams were up to in the sordid Noughties
asserted
Brand → say → Noughties
Second celebrity with 'multiple' victims has been granted gagging order - after David Walliams was unmasked as star hiding behind injunction
-
asserted
Walliams → grant → injunction
Ed Miliband says he 'deeply regrets' appearing on Russell Brand's web show...
asserted
he → say → show
a week after the comedian was convicted of rape
asserted
comedian → convict → rape
KATIE HIND witnessed it all - and had her own lucky escapes
asserted
HIND → witness → escapes
Inside story of the day Russell Brand's then-girlfriend Jemima Goldsmith hired him a £500 'full-figured' masseuse... who was later hit by a draconian gagging order
-
asserted
who → hire → order
When you hear MY stories about David Walliams, you'll understand my relief that he's finally been unmasked
-
asserted
he → hear → relief
READ MORE: Why I find it hard to believe Jonathan Ross was 'genuinely unaware' about David Walliams
asserted
Ross → read → Walliams
The Aporia
.jpg?trim=60,0,60,0&auto=webp&quality=75&width=1200)
