A famous comedian and beloved children's author now stands at the edge of a reckoning that has been gathering for years, as London police begin formally examining allegations of old sexual offences that reporters have spent three years documenting. He denies every accusation and insists that fame may create imbalances of power, but that he never abused them. The story sits within a larger public moment in which the reputations of celebrated figures are being weighed against the accounts of those who say they were harmed long ago, and no verdict has yet been reached.
Met Police open sex offence investigation into David Walliams after media grooming allegations
Several women have alleged sexual misconduct by Walliams, including one who says she was sexually assaulted at his London home at age 15; he denies all allegations.
No charges have been announced.
Mark
The Met's statement doesn't actually name Walliams. Why does that matter?
Mimi
Police usually describe a suspect by age and circumstance at this stage. They said a man now in his 50s, and the story around it is clearly about him, but the wording is careful.
Luke
And that's worth holding onto. The Met also said these allegations are separate from the ITV and Guardian reports, so we shouldn't blend the two together.
Mark
So what do the media reports rest on?
Mimi
A three-year inquiry in which ITV News and The Guardian say they spoke to more than 100 people. The accounts include one woman who says she was assaulted at his London home at 15.
Luke
Those are the outlets' reports of what women say. They're allegations, not findings. The 100-plus figure is the outlets' own description of their work.
Mark
Walliams tried to block the naming, didn't he?
Mimi
He did, and lost in the High Court. The judge said an injunction would be an exceptionally serious interference with media rights.
Luke
Losing that bid says nothing about whether the allegations are true. It only addresses whether publication could be stopped.
Mark
What's the cost so far?
Mimi
The BBC pulled some shows, including all of Little Britain, and his agency dropped him. HarperCollins had already parted ways with him last year.
Luke
Those are business decisions. What's unknown is whether police will bring any charges. None have been announced.
Der Puls
- Two investigative reports from ITV News and The Guardian named a celebrated comedian and set off a rapid cascade of accusations stretching back to 2003.
- The Metropolitan Police opened a separate inquiry into non-recent serious sexual offences involving a man in his fifties, and the allegations are distinct from the press reports.
- The broadcaster BBC pulled programmes featuring him, including every episode of Little Britain, while his literary agency dropped him entirely.
- The comedian has denied wrongdoing, lost an attempt to block publication in the High Court, and insists he has not broken the law.
- Police are urging anyone affected to come forward, but no charges have been announced and the investigation remains at its earliest stage.
A famous comedian and beloved children's author now stands at the edge of a reckoning that has been gathering for years, as London police begin formally examining allegations of old sexual offences that reporters have spent three years documenting. He denies every accusation and insists that fame may create imbalances of power, but that he never abused them. The story sits within a larger public moment in which the reputations of celebrated figures are being weighed against the accounts of those who say they were harmed long ago, and no verdict has yet been reached.
On Friday, London's Metropolitan Police announced an investigation into serious sexual offences linked to David Walliams, the comedian and children's author. The announcement came days after ITV News and The Guardian published reports in which several women accused the 55-year-old of grooming and sexual misconduct, some dating back to 2003. The journalists said their three-year inquiry had involved more than 100 people, and one woman alleged that Walliams sexually assaulted her at his London home when she was 15.
The police statement spoke of allegations involving a man in his fifties, and it was careful to say these were separate from the press reports. Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney urged anyone affected to come forward. The timing also drew attention, since the reports appeared the day after Russell Brand was sentenced to more than ten years in prison for rape and sexual assault.
Walliams responded in a letter, acknowledging that fame creates a power imbalance but saying that abusing such power is something else, and that he never did so. He had already lost a High Court bid to stop the media from naming him. The fallout has been swift: the BBC removed some of his programmes, his agency has dropped him, and his publisher had ended ties last year over separate harassment claims he also denied. No charges have been made, and the investigation is only beginning.
On Friday, London's Metropolitan Police announced they had opened an investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences linked to David Walliams, the comedian and children's author. The announcement followed media reports earlier in the week accusing the 55-year-old of grooming and sexually abusing girls and young women. Walliams denies the allegations.
In its statement, the Met said it had received a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences involving a man now in his 50s. It did not name Walliams in that wording. Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney urged anyone affected to come forward. The force also made clear that the new allegations are separate from those reported this week by ITV News and The Guardian.
Those two outlets published their reports on Tuesday. They said several women had accused Walliams of sexual misconduct, with the allegations reaching back as far as 2003. The journalists said they spoke to more than 100 people over a three-year investigation. One woman said Walliams sexually assaulted her at his London home when she was 15. Others accused him of grooming them as teenagers, and the reports also included allegations that he harassed young female colleagues.
The timing drew attention. The reports appeared a day after comedian Russell Brand was sentenced to more than 10 years in jail for rape and sexual assault.
Walliams answered the outlets in a letter. He wrote that a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, but that abusing that power is something else entirely, and that he never did it. He added that he is not a sexual predator and has not broken the law.
He had tried to stop the publication. The reports came out after he lost a High Court bid to block the media outlets from naming him. Judge Matthew Nicklin said an injunction would be an exceptionally serious interference with the media's rights.
The professional fallout has been swift. A BBC spokesperson told the AFP news agency that the broadcaster had taken down some programmes involving Walliams, including every episode of Little Britain, the sketch show that made him famous. His literary agency, Independent Talent Group, said it was no longer representing him in any capacity. His publisher, HarperCollins, had already dropped him last year after accusations that he harassed female staff, which he also denied.
Walliams became known through the sketch shows Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, and he served as a judge on ITV's Britain's Got Talent. His children's books, among them Mr Stink, Gangsta Granny and The Boy in the Dress, have reportedly sold more than 50 million copies.
No charges have been announced. For now, the police investigation is at its opening stage, and officers are asking others who may have been affected to contact them.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I am not a sexual predator … I have not broken the law.— David Walliams, in a letter to ITV and The Guardian
The Met urged anyone affected to come forward.— Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney, Metropolitan Police
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