Former Britain's Got Talent make-up artist Lou Teasdale has claimed young girls being made to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) was rife in the industry.
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made → claim → industry
The celebrity hair and make-up stylist, 43, who worked on BGT and The X Factor, said it was 'standard protocol' for girls to sign NDAs and have their phones taken from them before being left alone with a famous man.
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phones → work → man
The post came as the fallout from the David Walliams scandal continued today, with broadcasters accused of failing to act on allegations he groomed teenage girls and Russell Brand's sentencing for rape and sexual assault earlier this week.
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he → come → rape
Lou worked on Britain's Got Talent at the same time as David and it was reported in 2020 that they had enjoyed a brief romance.
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they → work → romance
Lou, who is now in a relationship with Andy Carroll who recently opened up about his experience with sexual assault, said she wanted to highlight the culture where 'a man's privacy is prioritised over a woman's safety'.
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privacy → open → safety
The mother of one said she wasn't accusing any of her former employers or colleagues of wrongdoing but asked her followers for help in protecting young girls.
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she → say → girls
She wrote on Instagram: 'It is open and standard protocol for girls to sign NDAs and have their phones taken from them before they're left alone with a famous man.
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they → write → man
Former Britain's Got Talent make-up artist Lou Teasdale has claimed young girls being made to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) was rife in the industry
'
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made → claim → industry
I'm not accusing any of those I worked with of any wrongdoing.
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I → accuse → wrongdoing
I'm talking about a culture that exists and is completely legal that treats a celebrity man's privacy as more important than a woman's safety.
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that → talk → safety
'How can a man be expected to behave with any accountability when there is an agreement in place beforehand to remove the woman's voice and the device that would keep her safe?
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that → expect → her
'We can all be encouraging women to come forward but please can someone make it clear.
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it → encourage → women
If you've signed an NDA and you've been raped, are you allowed to come forward?
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you → sign → NDA
I would imagine there are a lot of victims scared to in fear of litigation.'
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I → imagine → litigation
In the caption of her post, she added: 'Lots of security, entourages, label bosses, lawyers and managers from over the years in my followers, are changes going to be made regarding protecting talent with NDAs when it comes to personal behaviour and sex?'
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it → add → behaviour
TV agent Dermot McNamara claimed to have reported allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' against Walliams to the authorities and broadcasters at the time it is said to have happened.
But he claimed nothing appeared to have been done, with Walliams allowed to remain on screen for 'many, many years' and 'be involved with other young people'.
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Walliams → claim → people
Mr McNamara has represented someone allegedly groomed by the ex-BGT judge, who has been accused of sexual misconduct and abusing his power.
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who → represent → power
Another woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams, when she was aged just 15, as a 'sexual assault', while others accused him of 'grooming' them as teenagers.
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others → describe → teenagers
Mr McNamara said of his former client on the BBC's Newsnight: 'She was 16 when she first met him.
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she → say → him
He had followed her on social media and had invited her to Britain's Got Talent screenings, introduced her to the judges, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon.
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He → follow → judges
The celebrity hair and make-up stylist, 43, who worked on BGT and The X Factor, said it was 'standard protocol' for girls to sign NDAs and have their phones taken from them before being left alone with a famous man
She wrote on Instagram: 'It is open and standard protocol for girls to sign NDAs and have their phones taken from them before they're left alone with a famous man'
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they → work → man
There were photos, she was invited backstage with a group of friends of similar ages, still very young-looking.
'
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she → be → ages
Following on from that she was then invited along with another girl to his home where inappropriate behaviour happened – or, she feels inappropriate behaviour happened.'
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behaviour → follow → home
He said this had a 'profound effect on her mental health and her wellbeing', making it a 'struggle to see him in the media, still getting jobs, still being able to conduct himself in public life, raising money for charity, being allowed in people's classrooms, school rooms, children's bedrooms with his books'.
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it → say → books
Mr McNamara continued: 'I think the enablement around it all, how everyone was very scared to say anything about it, was real and true – and I know that was a frightening time for her and also many of the girls and women involved.'
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that → continue → girls
Presenter Victoria Derbyshire then asked him: 'Did you report this?'
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you → ask → this
He replied: 'I reported it to authorities and broadcasters.'
Ms Derbyshire added: 'Did anything happen?'
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anything → reply → authorities
Mr McNamara responded: 'Not that I'm aware of, no.
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I → respond → ?
He was still on TV for many, many years – he was still allowed to, by the sounds of it, be involved with other young people.
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he → allow → people
The date of the allegations was not given, but Walliams was a BGT judge from 2012 until 2022.
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Walliams → give → 2022
Fremantle UK, which makes BGT, said the company is 'disturbed and concerned' at the 'serious allegations', but added that no complaint was ever made to them about his behaviour.
The post came as the fallout from the David Walliams scandal continued today, with broadcasters accused of failing to act on allegations he groomed teenage girls at the height of his career
Walliams denies any wrongdoing.
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Walliams → make → wrongdoing
In a letter understood to have been sent several months ago by Walliams to journalists at ITV News and The Guardian working on the investigations, the television personality denied being a 'sexual predator'.
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personality → understand → investigations
He said he recognised he 'behaved thoughtlessly' at times, and regretted not taking people's feelings 'properly into account', but insisted he had not broken the law.
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he → say → law
The letter added: '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.'
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I → add → that
Meanwhile comedian Lucy Beaumont said the TV industry needs better procedures for people to raise safeguarding issues as she revealed she was among people who spoke to The Guardian about allegations involving Walliams.
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who → say → Walliams
The 43-year-old said she raised concerns about Walliams after being told he was hosting teenage girls in his dressing room while working on a TV show and she was 'worried' about whether he had behaved inappropriately.
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he → say → show
Ms Beaumont discussed her response to the allegations involving Walliams while appearing on Sky News' The Cathy Newman Show yesterday, saying she 'wants to protect young women' in the TV industry.
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she → discuss → industry
I don't know Walliams, I haven't worked with him but, bizarrely, it's been a really strange day for me because, about three years ago, a young person – and it was their first job on TV – worked on a show he was on and the next show that they worked on was with me.
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they → know → me
They took me aside and said, "I need to tell somebody something" and confided in me.
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I → take → me
Ms Beaumont said the young person told her they had to 'take young girls' who were 'definitely' over 16 to Walliams's dressing room, adding: 'He felt they were vulnerable.'
From left, David Walliams, Anthony McPartlin, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Declan Donnelly at a Britain's Got Talent photocall in London in January 2017.
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they → say → January
…and 17 more, not listed.
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