One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams when she was 15 as “sexual assault”, while multiple women accused him of “grooming” them when they were teenagers.
asserted
they → describe → them
Walliams denies any wrongdoing.
asserted
Walliams → deny → wrongdoing
Earlier in the week, the BBC said it was carrying out a review of “all material” featuring and written by Walliams on its platforms and was in the process of “removing” some.
asserted
it → say → some
His character has just three lines in the 30-minute film, along with some “ribbits”.
asserted
character → have → ribbits
In one line, his character says: “I am a frog, as clean as can be.
asserted
I → say → line
A BBC spokesperson said: “These are serious allegations.
asserted
These → say → ?
As such, the BBC is looking carefully at all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms.
asserted
BBC → look → platforms
We are in the process of removing some programmes, including Little Britain, whilst this review is under way.”
asserted
review → remove → way
Walliams rose to fame working alongside Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series Little Britain, which ran from 2003 until 2006.
asserted
which → rise → 2006
They then created and starred in Come Fly With Me, which aired on the BBC for one season in 2010.
asserted
which → create → 2010
Both shows are currently unavailable on iPlayer, as is a 2020 episode of Who Do You Think You Are? featuring Walliams.
asserted
You → think → Walliams
Adaptations of his best-selling children’s books including Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy are also unavailable are on the service.
asserted
Adaptations → sell → service
Other broadcasters have also removed programming featuring Walliams from their streaming services.
asserted
broadcasters → remove → services
Channel 4 has taken down episodes of 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and the 2021 special Chitty Flies Again with Walliams.
asserted
Chitty → take → Walliams
Sky also removed Walliams’ work from its platform and dropped the distribution of the upcoming film Fing! based on his 2019 children’s book.
asserted
Sky → remove → book
In a statement, a Sky spokesperson said: “The allegations made against David Walliams are extremely serious.
asserted
allegations → say → Walliams
We have notified the producers of the film of our intention to exit our position as the UK and Ireland licensee of Fing!
asserted
We → notify → Fing
“We have already removed content which features him from our platforms.”
asserted
which → remove → platforms
Angel Studios confirmed it would still release the film in the US, but a cameo featuring Walliams would be removed and he would not take part in its promotion.
asserted
he → confirm → promotion
Walliams has not yet responded to Tuesday’s reports in The Guardian or ITV News.
asserted
Walliams → respond → Guardian
But in a letter understood to have been sent several months ago to journalists working on the investigations, he denied being a “sexual predator”.
asserted
he → understand → investigations
Walliams 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.
asserted
he → say → law
The ITV and The Guardian reports about Walliams followed his unsuccessful attempts to seek an injunction to prevent the media revealing his identity – with his lawyers arguing there was a risk he would take his own life after two previous suicide attempts.
asserted
he → follow → attempts
Several sources alleged inappropriate behaviour towards women at the prime-time show BGT, where Walliams served as a judge from 2012 to 2022, and at his publisher HarperCollins, which dropped him last year.
asserted
which → allege → him
The allegations also led to Walliams also being dropped by his literary agency, Independent Talent Group.
The Press Association has contacted the BBC and representatives for Julia Donaldson for comment.
asserted
Association → lead → comment
The Aporia
