David Walliams controversies: A timeline of allegations and career setbacks
Former judge and star David Walliams is facing allegations from multiple women of sexually inappropriate behaviour towards them when they were teenagers.
Here is a timeline of controversies involving the television personality:
During a stage show of , Walliams performed an act known as Hide The Sausage.
He played a former children’s entertainer and sex offender named Des Kaye, who touched and pulled down the trousers of audience members and attempted to kiss them.
Videos of the performances posted online have since attracted criticism from social media users and LGBT+ campaigners.
Walliams made sexual comments about former singer Harry Styles, who was 17 at the time, on Channel 4’s .
His comments prompted complaints to the broadcaster and regulator Ofcom.
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Little Britain was pulled from various UK streaming services due to its use of blackface. Some of the show’s characters were cut when the BBC reuploaded it two years later, while Come Fly With Me was similarly edited.
Walliams and co-creator Matt Lucas apologised for their use of blackface in the shows, calling it “wrong”, with Lucas describing the comedy in the series as “cruel”.
Walliams left his role as a judge on , having joined the show in 2012, after he was found to have made sexually explicit and derogatory remarks about some contestants.
BGT producer Fremantle apologised to Walliams and reached an “amicable resolution” with him after remarks he made while on the show were leaked. The star apologised for the “disrespectful comments”.
Walliams said: “I would like to apologise to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for in 2020.
“These were private conversations and – like most conversations with friends – were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry.”
The apology followed a lawsuit filed by Walliams, alleging that the release of a recording of him making the comments breached data protection regulations.
The lawsuit also accused the company of causing him psychiatric harm and financial loss.
In December 2025, Walliams was dropped by his publisher, which said it had decided, after careful consideration, not to publish any new titles by the award-winning children’s author.
The decision followed a investigation into allegations that he had “harassed” young women.
At the time, a statement from HarperCollins 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. The author is aware of this decision.
“HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns. To respect the privacy of individuals we do not comment on internal matters.”
A spokesperson for Walliams said he had “never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins”.
Walliams’ representatives added: “He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice.”
Shortly after being dropped by HarperCollins, Walliams was also removed from the programme for the Waterstones Children’s Book Festival in Dundee.
It was also reported in 2025 that he had made Nazi salutes while recording the BBC panel show
Earlier this month, it was revealed that a high-profile man, later identified as Walliams, had lost a legal bid for an injunction against ITN and Guardian News and Media to prevent publication of allegations including sexual misconduct.
Theme park Alton Towers also permanently closed its attraction last week.
The attraction focused on his children’s books, with features including G , and , as well as Raj’s Shop and The Burger Kitchen.
A spokesperson for Merlin Entertainments, which runs the theme park, said: “As the 2026 peak season at Alton Towers Resort comes to an end and following our regular review of rides and attractions across the resort, we have taken the decision to permanently close the World Of David Walliams.”
It is understood the decision was made after taking into account a range of operational and guest experience considerations.
On November 10, ITV News and the Guardian publicly named Walliams as the television personality facing multiple allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour towards women.
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