David Walliams Accused of Grooming Teenage Girls as Young as 15 in Guardian and ITV Investigation
Comedian and children’s author David Walliams has been named as the celebrity at the centre of a major Guardian and ITV News investigation, which alleges he used his fame to groom teenage girls and young women for sex. Walliams, 55, denies all of the allegations.
The three-year joint investigation, published on Tuesday, November 10, says multiple women accuse Walliams of sexually inappropriate behaviour and grooming, with some of the alleged incidents dating back to 2003. The investigation also includes allegations of inappropriate conduct during his time as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent and at his former publisher, HarperCollins.
Walliams had tried to stop the allegations from being published, taking legal action against ITV’s news arm, Independent Television News (ITN), and Guardian News and Media (GNM), the publisher of The Guardian. A High Court judge dismissed his bid for an injunction on November 3, and Walliams did not file an appeal by the deadline on Monday, November 9, clearing the way for the investigation to be published and for him to be named.
He has not been charged with any crime, and no police investigation has been reported.
What the investigation alleges
The investigation is based on interviews with more than 100 people, including more than 30 sources with first-hand accounts, and a review of emails, messages and other material, the news organisations said.
Two women told the investigators they first met Walliams when they were 15.
One woman, identified as Jade, said she was 15 and Walliams was 36 when they met in August 2007 and he invited her to his house. She described what happened there as “sexual assault” and “grooming”, adding: “It’s completely wrong in every way.” Walliams strongly denied to the publications that he had any sexual contact with Jade, and said he rejects any allegations of criminal activity and has never engaged in the grooming of young women.
Another woman, identified as Alex, said she met Walliams at a Little Britain fan event when she was 15 and they exchanged emails. She alleged they began having sex by the time she was 17, and said: “I think I was groomed. 100%.” Walliams told the publications he believed she was 18 at the time, and his lawyers said the suggestion that he groomed Alex is false and has caused him significant distress.
A third woman, Lilly Creightmore, said she met Walliams when she was 18 at a live filming of Little Britain and stayed in his flat, where she slept on the sofa. She alleged he asked her to stay in his bed every night and “crossed the line physically in moments, when I was young, trying to coerce me into sleeping with him.” Walliams’s lawyers said he saw her as a close friend and denies grooming her or targeting her because she was young and vulnerable.
A model identified as Ella said she was 19 when she met Walliams, then 36, in 2007, and attended a party at his house. She alleged he tried to kiss her when they were alone and she “ducked underneath his arm and ran away”, calling it “unwanted physical touching and emotional manipulation”. Walliams said he made a “clumsy pass” but made no further approaches.
Allegations from Britain’s Got Talent and HarperCollins
The investigation also includes allegations about Walliams’s conduct at work: several sources alleged inappropriate behaviour towards women at Britain’s Got Talent, where he was a judge from 2012 until 2022, and at HarperCollins, his children’s book publisher.
A former junior employee at Britain’s Got Talent, named as Mark, said he walked into Walliams’s dressing room and found two “very young” people in the room while the judge was only wearing a towel. Mark said he later received £300 from Walliams with a signed card, which a senior member of the production staff called “hush money”. Walliams denies he was “buying” Mark’s silence, said there was nothing that needed “covering up”, and said he tipped staff every year. He described the comments as a “smear”.
A former staff member at HarperCollins said normal working practices had to be changed around Walliams and young women were not sent on their own to his home. It is alleged he had a sexual relationship with at least one junior employee and pursued another.
HarperCollins dropped Walliams in December 2025 after an investigation into allegations that he had “harassed” young women, which Walliams denied at the time. Earlier this month, the theme park Alton Towers permanently closed its World of David Walliams attraction, which featured rides inspired by his books.
Fremantle UK, the production company behind Britain’s Got Talent, said in a statement: “We are disturbed and concerned at these serious allegations. David Walliams has not been a judge on Britain’s Got Talent for more than four years. During his time on the show and in the intervening period, no complaint was ever made regarding his behaviour to Fremantle UK. If anyone feels they have been the subject of any impropriety or wrongdoing by anyone on any Fremantle or associated labels’ productions, we encourage them to come forward.”
The failed court bid to stop publication
Walliams brought his legal action before the two news organisations published their findings, seeking an injunction to prevent them from reporting the allegations and identifying him.
During a two-day trial in October, lawyers for the media organisations told the High Court in London that the allegations involved Walliams’s alleged “abuse of power and status” to contact young women and try to engage in “inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities”.
Walliams’s lawyers argued that publication posed a risk to his life, after two previous suicide attempts, and said he had initially attempted suicide after receiving the news organisations’ letters asking for his reply, because of “long-term trauma and the fear of trial by media”. He was granted anonymity during the proceedings.
Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed the bid for a permanent injunction on Tuesday, November 3. Walliams was given permission to appeal but did not meet the deadline of 4:30 p.m. on Monday, November 9, leaving the media organisations free to name him. The Guardian reported that Walliams is currently in a psychiatric hospital.
Walliams’s response
In a letter understood to have been sent several months ago to journalists working on the investigations, Walliams wrote: “Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with. I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret. And 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.”
He added: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”
Walliams has yet to respond publicly following the publication of his name on Tuesday. His lawyers have said he denies grooming young women, denies any sexual contact with the 15-year-old named as Jade, and rejects all allegations of serious criminal conduct as false.
Why this matters
Walliams is one of Britain’s best-known entertainers. As co-creator of the sketch show Little Britain with Matt Lucas, he became a household name in the 2000s, and as a children’s author he has sold more than 60 million books worldwide, including The Boy in the Dress, Fing and Gangsta Granny.
The case also raises questions about how the entertainment industry handles complaints about powerful figures. The investigation alleges that concerns about Walliams’s behaviour were known in parts of the industry for years, and that working practices at his publisher were changed around him. HarperCollins dropped him in December 2025, and Alton Towers closed his themed attraction earlier this month, before the allegations were made public.
The legal battle is significant in its own right: the High Court’s refusal of the injunction, and Walliams’s failure to appeal in time, allowed the investigation to be published in full.
For American readers, the story echoes recent celebrity cases in the United States and Britain in which high-profile figures have faced historical allegations of sexual misconduct. It is the second major celebrity court story on NNews this week, after Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for rape and sexual assault. It also follows a separate high-profile court case this week, in which a suspect agreed to plead guilty in the $100 million Brink’s jewelry heist.
What happens next
ITV will air a documentary, David Walliams: Power & Silence, on Tuesday, November 10, at 10:50 p.m., following the three-year joint investigation. It is also available on the ITV News YouTube channel.
The Labour Party suspended Walliams’s membership on Tuesday after the accusations emerged, and Downing Street described the allegations as “deeply troubling”.
It is not yet known whether any of the women involved will make formal complaints to the police. Walliams has not been charged with any offence, and the allegations against him have not been tested in court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is David Walliams?
David Walliams, 55, is a British comedian, actor and children’s author. He co-created the sketch show Little Britain with Matt Lucas, was a judge on Britain’s Got Talent from 2012 to 2022, and has sold more than 60 million children’s books worldwide.
What has David Walliams been accused of?
A joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News alleges Walliams used his celebrity status to groom teenage girls and young women for sex, with some allegations dating back to 2003. Multiple women accuse him of sexual misconduct, including two who say they first met him when they were 15. It also includes allegations about his conduct at Britain’s Got Talent and HarperCollins.
Has David Walliams been charged with a crime?
No. Walliams has not been charged with any offence, and no police investigation has been reported. He denies all of the allegations, including any criminal wrongdoing, and says he has never engaged in the grooming of young women.
Why was David Walliams only named today?
Walliams took legal action to prevent the Guardian and ITV News from publishing the allegations and identifying him. A High Court judge dismissed his bid for an injunction on November 3, 2026, and Walliams did not file an appeal by the deadline on November 9, after which the news organisations were free to publish and name him.
Walliams’s case will now be watched closely in Britain and beyond — not only for what the investigation reveals, but for what it says about how long allegations against powerful figures can remain unpublished.
Sources: The Guardian / ITV News joint investigation; Press Association via Glasgow Times; NME; AAP; Radio Times; British Comedy Guide.
