David Walliams, the 55-year-old comedian and former Britain’s Got Talent judge, has been accused by multiple women of "grooming fans" and "harassing" them after he failed to secure a high court injunction. The Guardian and ITV News published their joint investigation following the dismissal of his legal bid to stop the story from appearing in print. The allegations span decades, detailing how the star allegedly used his celebrity status to prey on teenagers and young women for sex while abusing his position in the workplace.
Allegations of predatory behavior
Alex, who was 15 when she first met Walliams in January 2004, describes a pattern of manipulation that began at a fan event where he told her she was "a very attractive lady." She recalls receiving an unexpected phone call shortly after giving him her contact details, which led to months of correspondence before they had sex when she was 17. "I think I was groomed, 100%," she says, noting that he promised to help her career while exploiting the power imbalance between them. Another woman, identified as Jade, alleges she met him via MySpace at age 15 and was invited to his home weeks later for sexual contact. Lilly Creightmore, who was 18 when Walliams sent her a card asking for a date, reports that he constantly pestered her for sex over several years despite her explicit desire for friendship only.
The investigation found that Walliams contacted young female runners on his productions and staff at HarperCollins, his former publisher. In December 2025, HarperCollins severed ties with him after an internal investigation revealed inappropriate behavior towards junior female employees, including a sexual relationship with one staff member. The company stated it would no longer sell or reprint his back catalogue of books. A friend of Walliams described a persistent pattern where he would track down women’s contact details, send flowers, and call daily until they agreed to meet him for dinner. This conduct raised serious questions about the television industry, which has faced numerous scandals regarding the inappropriate behavior of prominent male stars in recent years.
Court proceedings and denial
Walliams denies all allegations of wrongdoing, claiming he did not abuse his power or break the law. His lawyers argued that the suggestion he groomed Alex is false and caused him significant distress, stating he believed she was 18 when they resumed contact. In a letter to journalists, he admitted to behaving "thoughtlessly" in casual relationships but insisted, "I am not a sexual predator." The high court hearing revealed that Walliams had attempted suicide twice after the news organizations initially put the allegations to him in May. He was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and remained in a psychiatric hospital when the judge dismissed his case last Tuesday.
Mr Justice Nicklin accepted there was a genuine risk of suicide but ruled that the investigation concerns matters of substantial public interest. The judge stated that an injunction would represent an exceptionally serious interference with press freedom, preventing the sources from communicating their experiences to the public. Walliams’ barrister, Sara Mansoori KC, argued that human rights laws obligated the court to protect his life, but the judge noted that the state was already providing effective protection through inpatient treatment. With the ruling final and no appeal planned, the full details of the women’s accounts are now public. The production companies behind Britain’s Got Talent and ITV said they were unaware of any complaints during his tenure on the show.
