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David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher after an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women, the Telegraph has reported.
Walliams, one of Britain’s most successful children’s authors, was reportedly the subject of complaints that he had “harassed” junior female staff at HarperCollins UK, prompting the publisher to decide it would no longer release new titles by the author.
One woman who raised concerns is understood to have left the company after reaching a settlement that included a five-figure payout.
HarperCollins, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, reportedly carried out an internal inquiry after a junior employee made a complaint in 2023. Sources cited by the Telegraph said that, after the inquiry, steps were taken to limit contact between Walliams and some employees. Measures reportedly included ensuring some staff did not work directly with him, advising them to attend meetings in pairs and discouraging visits to his home. The Telegraph reported that Walliams was not informed about the HarperCollins investigation while it was under way and that its findings were not formally put to him.
The decision to sever ties came after HarperCollins’ former chief executive, Charlie Redmayne, suddenly stepped down in October and was replaced on an interim basis by Kate Elton.
In a statement to the Guardian, a HarperCollins spokesperson said: “After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams.”
Walliams rose to prominence in the early 2000s as the co-creator and star of BBC’s Little Britain, which became a cultural phenomenon and made him one of the most recognisable comedians in the UK. He later became a familiar television personality through roles as a presenter and as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent. From 2008, Walliams reinvented himself as a children’s author, achieving huge commercial success. He has authored more than 40 books and short story collections – in 2019, it was estimated that he had sold £100m worth of books.
However, Walliams, 54, has come under fire in recent years. Critics have challenged aspects of his writing, including the use of stereotypes. In 2021, a story titled Brian Wong, Who Was Never, Ever Wrong, about a Chinese boy, was removed from Walliams’ book The World’s Worst Children.
Walliams left his role as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 after 10 years, when the Guardian reported on a leaked transcript showing him making crude remarks about contestants during auditions in 2020. He referred to one contestant as a “cunt” and said “she thinks you want to fuck her, but you don’t”, about another. Walliams apologised for the comments.
A spokesperson for Walliams has been contacted for comment.
