David Walliams was named on November 10 in a three-year investigation by The Guardian and ITV News, after he missed the deadline to appeal a High Court ruling that rejected his bid to block publication. The allegations remain untested in court, and Walliams denies wrongdoing.

Why his name can now be published

Walliams had brought legal action against Guardian News and Media, publisher of The Guardian, and Independent Television News, which produces ITV News. He sought an injunction to stop the outlets publishing their investigation, and he was granted anonymity during the proceedings.

At a two-day hearing in late October, his lawyers told the High Court in London that he feared he might take his own life and cited two previous suicide attempts. On November 3, judge Nicklin dismissed the application. Walliams was allowed to appeal, but missed the deadline on Monday; the outlets were then free to identify him.

The ruling concerned whether publication could be blocked. It did not decide whether the allegations were true. Radio Nova reported that the court considered preventing publication a serious interference with freedom of expression.

What the investigation alleges

The Guardian and ITV News said their investigation covers allegations dating back to 2003. Multiple women accused Walliams of sexually inappropriate behaviour and grooming, including when they were teenagers. One woman described an alleged encounter with him at age 15 as sexual assault.

A woman identified as Jade told the outlets that Walliams contacted her through MySpace in 2007, when she was 15. She alleged that, during a later meeting, he kissed and touched her despite her not wanting sexual contact. Another woman, identified as Alex, said she met him at a Little Britain fan event at 15, heard from him by phone in January 2004 and began having sex with him at 17.

The investigation also reported allegations involving women in professional settings. These include inappropriate conduct and sexual harassment on Britain’s Got Talent, where Walliams was a judge, and claims that young fans were allowed backstage without an adult present. The show’s production companies, Fremantle and Syco, said they had no knowledge of the allegations and had never received complaints about them.

At HarperCollins, the investigation alleged that Walliams had a sexual relationship with at least one junior employee and pursued another. The publisher ended its relationship with him in December 2025, following reports of inappropriate behaviour toward female employees.

Walliams’s response

Walliams denied wrongdoing, saying he was not a sexual predator and had not broken the law. He also said he had sometimes behaved thoughtlessly in casual sexual relationships and regretted not properly considering other people’s feelings.

The court has not tested those allegations. The available accounts establish what women alleged and what Walliams said in response, but not whether any offence occurred.