Walliams: BBC pulls comedian's shows after abuse allegations

British comedian and children's author Walliams has been publicly named in an investigation in which several women accuse him of sexual abuse and psychological manipulation. His name became public on Tuesday, after a court refused to grant him an injunction against publication. The BBC then said it was removing some programmes featuring him.

What the women say and how Walliams responds

According to a joint investigation by two news outlets, several women spoke to the journalists. One of them said Walliams attacked her at his home when she was 15. Others claim that, when they were teenagers, he groomed them — manipulating them to win their trust so that it could later be exploited.

In response, the comedian, as reported by ITV, said he is not a sexual predator and has not broken the law. He added that he is distressed that some women he met 10–20 years ago now speak of hurt and anger. An imbalance of position is unavoidable when one side is famous, he acknowledged, but said he had never abused it.

The court, the BBC and publishers

Walliams sought a court order barring his name from being linked to the allegations. His lawyers argued that publicity could drive him to suicide. The judge rejected the application but kept his anonymity in place until Monday so the comedian could appeal. The deadline passed without an appeal, and on Tuesday both outlets named him.

On Tuesday the BBC announced that it is pulling a number of programmes, including the series “Little Britain”. The literary agency Independent Talent Group has ended its work with him, and the publisher HarperCollins parted ways with the author last year following allegations of inappropriate behaviour. According to his website, Walliams has published around 40 children's books, which have sold more than 60 million copies.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz