London’s Metropolitan Police have opened an investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences involving comedian and children’s author David Walliams, following media reports of grooming and abuse.
“has received a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences involving a man now in his 50s” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement on Friday, Al Jazeera reported. Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney urged anyone affected by the conduct to come forward, noting that these reports are separate from the specific accusations published by ITV News and The Guardian earlier this week, Al Jazeera reported.
The investigation follows a three-year inquiry by the two media outlets, which involved interviews with more than 100 people. Reports detailed claims dating back to 2003, including one woman who stated she was sexually assaulted at Walliams’s London home when she was 15 years old. Other women alleged that Walliams groomed them while they were teenagers, according to The Guardian.
Walliams, 55, has denied the allegations. In a letter to the publishers, he stated, “I am not a sexual predator … I have not broken the law.” While acknowledging that a power imbalance exists in fame-based relationships, he added, “abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did,” Al Jazeera reported.
The investigative reports were released after Walliams lost a High Court bid to prevent the outlets from naming him. Judge Matthew Nicklin ruled that granting an injunction would be an “exceptionally serious interference” with the media’s rights to report on the matter, as noted by Al Jazeera.
The BBC confirmed it has removed shows featuring Walliams, including the sketch comedy Little Britain, from its platforms. Additionally, his literary agency, The Independent Talent Group, announced it is no longer representing him in any capacity. His publisher, HarperCollins, had already dropped the author last year following separate allegations of harassment against female staff, which he also denied.
The public release of these allegations occurred just one day after comedian Russell Brand was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault.
Writing for The Independent, commentators have argued that the cases raise urgent questions about how institutions manage power dynamics and whether internal HR reviews or voluntary measures are sufficient to prevent such behavior.
Are the police investigating the same incidents reported by the media?
No. The Metropolitan Police said that the new allegations they are currently reviewing are separate from those published this week by ITV News and The Guardian.
What specific accusations has David Walliams denied?
Walliams has rejected all allegations of criminal activity and grooming. Regarding his interactions with women, he stated in a letter to his accusers’ publishers: “I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret.”
How far back do the reported allegations date?
The allegations detailed in the joint investigation by ITV News and The Guardian date back as far as 2003.
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