One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams when she was 15 as “sexual assault”, while multiple women accused him of “grooming” them when they were teenagers.
asserted
they → describe → them
Walliams denies any wrongdoing.
asserted
Walliams → deny → wrongdoing
Earlier in the week, the BBC said it was carrying out a review of “all material” featuring and written by Walliams on its platforms and was in the process of “removing” some.
asserted
it → say → some
His character has just three lines in the 30-minute film, along with some “ribbits”.
asserted
character → have → ribbits
In one line, his character says: “I am a frog, as clean as can be.
asserted
I → say → line
A BBC spokesperson said: “These are serious allegations.
asserted
These → say → ?
As such, the BBC is looking carefully at all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms.
asserted
BBC → look → platforms
We are in the process of removing some programmes, including Little Britain, whilst this review is under way.”
asserted
review → remove → way
Walliams rose to fame working alongside Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series Little Britain, which ran from 2003 until 2006.
asserted
which → rise → 2006
They then created and starred in Come Fly With Me, which aired on the BBC for one season in 2010.
asserted
which → create → 2010
Both shows are currently unavailable on iPlayer, as is a 2020 episode of Who Do You Think You Are? featuring Walliams.
asserted
You → think → Walliams
Adaptations of his best-selling children’s books including Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy are also unavailable are on the service.
asserted
Adaptations → sell → service
Other broadcasters have also removed programming featuring Walliams from their streaming services.
asserted
broadcasters → remove → services
Channel 4 has taken down episodes of 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and the 2021 special Chitty Flies Again with Walliams.
asserted
Chitty → take → Walliams
Sky also removed Walliams’ work from its platform and dropped the distribution of the upcoming film Fing! based on his 2019 children’s book.
asserted
Sky → remove → book
In a statement, a Sky spokesperson said: “The allegations made against David Walliams are extremely serious.
asserted
allegations → say → Walliams
We have notified the producers of the film of our intention to exit our position as the UK and Ireland licensee of Fing!
asserted
We → notify → Fing
“We have already removed content which features him from our platforms.”
asserted
which → remove → platforms
Angel Studios confirmed it would still release the film in the US, but a cameo featuring Walliams would be removed and he would not take part in its promotion.
asserted
he → confirm → promotion
Walliams has not yet responded to Tuesday’s reports in The Guardian or ITV News.
asserted
Walliams → respond → Guardian
But in a letter understood to have been sent several months ago to journalists working on the investigations, he denied being a “sexual predator”.
asserted
he → understand → investigations
Walliams said he recognised he “behaved thoughtlessly” at times, and regretted not taking people’s feelings “properly into account”, but insisted he had not broken the law.
asserted
he → say → law
The ITV and The Guardian reports about Walliams followed his unsuccessful attempts to seek an injunction to prevent the media revealing his identity – with his lawyers arguing there was a risk he would take his own life after two previous suicide attempts.
asserted
he → follow → attempts
Several sources alleged inappropriate behaviour towards women at the prime-time show BGT, where Walliams served as a judge from 2012 to 2022, and at his publisher HarperCollins, which dropped him last year.
asserted
which → allege → him
The allegations also led to Walliams also being dropped by his literary agency, Independent Talent Group.
The Press Association has contacted representatives for Julia Donaldson for comment.
asserted
Association → lead → comment
The Aporia
