Britain's Got Talent bosses probed David Walliams' conduct after learning he had taken teenage girls into his dressing room six years ago – but they claim they found no 'smoking gun' to sack him.
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they → probe → him
After being alerted to claims that Walliams, a judge on the ITV family programme, had behaved inappropriately at the Fountain Studios in Wembley by journalists and social media posts, chiefs investigated who he had invited.
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he → alert → who
However, BGT sources say there was 'no way' they could check whether the list of guests on his family and friends list were people he had met on MySpace or any other social media platform so failed to find any evidence of wrongdoing.
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he → say → wrongdoing
It comes as Walliams, who is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and preying on multiple teenagers, was today named as the celebrity who sought an injunction to prevent publication of the claims, arguing he would take his own life if the allegations came out.
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allegations → come → life
Sources say that no formal complaints were made to Fremantle, the production company that makes BGT or to SyCo Entertainment, Simon Cowell's now defunct firm that produced his television shows.
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that → say → shows
They also add that the young women were placed on the list by Walliams' personal assistant at his request and for several years they have insisted that his door was always left open as they were given cupcakes and soft drinks.
However, one woman named Abby who was invited to the show told ITV's documentary David Walliams: Power and Silence that she and three other teenagers were in his dressing room alone with the door closed.
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door → add → room
It can also be revealed that BGT creator and judge Cowell, 67, hasn't spoken to Walliams since 2022 when he made his final appearance on the talent show after joining in 2012.
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he → reveal → 2012
Britain's Got Talent bosses probed David Walliams' conduct after learning he had taken teenage girls into his dressing room six years ago
BGT sources say there was 'no way' they could check whether the list of guests on his family and friends list were people he had met on MySpace or any other social media platform so failed to find any evidence of wrongdoing
Shortly afterwards Walliams, 55, was ousted after he was recorded making vile comments about contestants during auditions at the London Palladium.
A show source said: 'Around 2020, BGT bosses looked into the claims they had heard.
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they → probe → claims
There were no formal complaints made by any young women, it was after they had been shown posts on social media and received calls from journalists.
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they → be → journalists
At that point it was decided to look into it, because there were no formal complaints it was on a more informal basis with no external company brought in to look at it.
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company → decide → it
There was no evidence found, the girls would have been on the friends and family list so nobody had a clue who they were.'
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they → be → clue
Meanwhile, Cowell distanced himself from Walliams four years ago, which sources say was after he feared that his fellow BGT star was 'not a good person'.
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star → distance → Walliams
The pair were known for their faux flirting and jovial behaviour as the two male judges on the programme.
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pair → know → programme
'Simon hasn't had anything to do with David for a long time now and he won't ever again,' says a friend of the music and television mogul.
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friend → have → mogul
'He is pleased that David went from BGT and that it has now moved on without him.
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it → go → him
Walliams is accused of 'abusing his status' on Little Britain and Britain's Got Talent (BGT) and engaging in 'inappropriate and exploitative sexual activities' with 'a large number' of young women and girls.
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Walliams → accuse → women
Simon Cowell distanced himself from Walliams four years ago, which sources say was after he feared that his fellow BGT star was 'not a good person'
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star → distance → Walliams
He denies any wrongdoing and told the High Court he would kill himself if his identity were revealed.
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identity → deny → himself
It came 24 hours after his friend Russell Brand was jailed for ten-and-a-half years for rape.
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friend → come → rape
This afternoon, Downing Street said allegations of sexual misconduct made by multiple women were 'deeply troubling' and the Government is 'concerned' about the use of injunctions.
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Government → say → injunctions
Labour has suspended him as a party member, it later emerged.
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it → suspend → member
One accuser, named as Jade by ITV News and The Guardian, alleges she was sexually assaulted by Walliams when she was 15 after he contacted her online.
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he → name → her
Jade claims they met in Soho before he drove her to his home in his Aston Martin.
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he → claim → Martin
She alleges Walliams sexually assaulted her at Supernova Heights, the mansion once owned by Oasis star Noel Gallagher.
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Walliams → allege → Gallagher
'He asked me to come over and gave me a hug.
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He → ask → hug
That's when he kissed me,' Jade alleged of Walliams, who was 36 at the time.
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who → kiss → time
'He lifted my top up and sucked on my breast and then tried to put my hand down his trousers.
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He → lift → trousers
That's when I pulled away and said, "No".
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I → pull → ?
He had an erection at the time,' she said.
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she → have → time
I didn't want to do that, with him or with anyone.
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I → want → anyone
I didn't want to be touched in that way at all.
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I → want → way
I mean, I was only 15.
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I → mean → ?
It's completely wrong in every way.'
In a statement to ITV News and The Guardian, Walliams said: 'Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with.
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I → say → relationships
I realise I did not always take people's feelings properly into account.
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I → realise → account
That is something I regret.
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I → regret → ?
Whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did.
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I → abuse → that
I have not broken the law.
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I → break → law
I am devastated that some of the women I met ten to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.'
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I → devastate → me
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