Comedian and children’s author David Walliams was named on 10 November 2026 after a London High Court judge rejected his legal bid to suppress sexual misconduct allegations from a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News.
Legal Battle and Injunction
Walliams sought an injunction against Independent Television News (ITN) and Guardian News and Media to block the publication of the stories. His legal team argued that identifying him would create a severe risk to his life through suicide, The Guardian reported. Lawyers told the court that the 55-year-old entertainer had previously attempted suicide twice, according to Variety.
Justice Matthew Nicklin accepted that publication would substantially increase that risk, but dismissed the application on 3 November 2026, Yahoo noted. Walliams was detained in a psychiatric hospital that can provide significant protection.
On Monday, Walliams’s lawyers confirmed he would not appeal the ruling, according to The Irish Times. The judge ruled that an injunction would represent an exceptionally serious interference with press freedom.
Allegations and Denials
The joint investigation featured accounts from more than 30 sources alleging that Walliams used his celebrity status and power to prey on teenagers and young women, according to Rolling Stone. Two women recounted meeting the entertainer when they were 15 years old, The Irish Times stated. One of the claimants, identified under the pseudonym Alex, stated that Walliams first phoned her in January 2004 when she was 15 and studying for her GCSEs after she had provided her contact information and scripts at a fan event.
The @itvnews investigation which David Walliams tried to stop in the courts. Watch here 👇 https://t.co/jvXQEwPPQW
— Post by @chrisshipitv on X
Over the subsequent months and years, contact continued through phone calls, emails, and a postcard. Another woman, identified as Jade, alleged she received a message from Walliams on Myspace in the summer of 2007. Walliams is also accused of workplace harassment involving junior staff at his publisher, HarperCollins, and crew members on productions including Britain’s Got Talent.
I am not a sexual predator.
David Walliams
Walliams strongly denied any criminal wrongdoing through legal representatives, Rolling Stone reported. In a personal letter to journalists, Walliams wrote: at times, I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with.
He added: I am not a sexual predator.
Lawyers for Walliams denied grooming accusations and disputed allegations of sexual contact with underage fans, according to The Guardian.
His legal representatives stated that he had understood Alex to be 18 when she re-established contact and that he did not recall or believe he requested sexual photographs.
Publisher and Agency Fallout
The fallout extended rapidly across the entertainment and publishing industries following the publication. Independent Talent Group confirmed it dropped Walliams after nearly two decades of representation, scrubbing his profile from its website, Deadline reported. An ITG spokesperson said: ITG is deeply disturbed by the allegations concerning David Walliams. Our thoughts are with anyone who has been affected. We are no longer representing him in any capacity.
Publisher HarperCollins severed ties with Walliams in December 2025 following an internal inquiry into inappropriate behavior toward female employees, halting new titles and deciding not to sell or reprint his back catalog, according to Variety. Earlier in November 2026, the theme park Alton Towers permanently closed its World of David Walliams attraction during a resort review, Rolling Stone noted, according to The Daily Beast.