David Walliams has ‘strongly denied’ allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women after he was dropped by his long-time publisher.
The 54-year-old, one of the UK’s most successful children’s authors, has been accused of ‘harassing’ junior female employees at HarperCollins following an investigation that began last year.
A junior colleague is said to have complained about his behaviour in 2023, leading to other staff members being interviewed.
One of the women who raised concerns was allegedly given a five-figure payout and has since left the company.
Former employees also described how they were advised to work in pairs when meeting with him and told not to visit his home.
Walliams, a former Britain’s Got Talent judge, previously came under scrutiny in 2022 following allegations of sexist remarks he is said to have made whilst working on the ITV show.
The best-selling children’s author is now at the centre of another scandal which has resulted in him being dropped by HarperCollins, the prestigious firm who he signed with in 2008 when they published his first book, The Boy in the Dress.
Walliams, who has sold more than 60 million books worldwide in 55 languages, has now broken his silence, claiming he was unaware of any allegations or investigation before he was dropped.
His spokesperson said: ‘David has never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins. 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.’
Sources told the The Telegraph that the investigation led to several junior employees being kept away from the author and one being paid a settlement.
Allegations first emerged in 2023, prompting interviews with staff who worked with Mr Walliams, with the investigation reportedly involving an in-house lawyer.
A spokesman for Harper Collins 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.’
The decision to drop Walliams comes after the departure of former CEO Charlie Redmayne in October.
The children’s author, who began writing books in 2008, has published more than 40 works which have been translated into 55 languages and sold more than 60 million copies.
While Mr Walliams was once TV royalty, a string of scandals in recent years have seen him step back from the spotlight.
The comedian left Britain’s Got Talent when vile sexual comments he made about female contestants emerged.
In 2022, a leaked transcript revealed that he called one auditioning contestant a ‘c**’ and said of another: ‘she thinks you want to f*** her, but you don’t’.
The comments, made in January 2020 during auditions at the London Palladium, were picked up on the programme’s microphones.
Mr Walliams apologised at the time the comments became public and acknowledged they were ‘disrespectful’, adding they were part of a private conversation that was ‘never intended to be shared’.
He has not truly returned to primetime since, despite his books continuing to be a hit and reportedly making up more than 40 per cent of revenue for Harper Collins’ children’s department.
The showbiz giant behind the show, Simon Cowell, is said to have since gone to great lengths to distance himself from Mr Walliams, with the pair ‘no longer on speaking terms at all’.
In June this year, it was reported the author made two Nazi salutes during a recording of the Christmas edition of the BBC’s comedy panel show Would I Lie To You?
The comedian apparently ‘jokingly’ made the salutes while Call the Midwife actress Helen George was telling a story from her time on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015.
The host, Rob Brydon, condemned Walliams and reminded him that the show went out before the watershed.
However, as George continued to explain her Strictly story, Walliams is said to have made the gesture for a second time, this time with a sexual twist.
Walliams’s team captain, Lee Mack was said to have looked unimpressed while one audience member revealed the the salutes landed ‘awkwardly’.
The former Little Britain star is now said to be facing Christmas alone and apart from his son, Alfred, 12.
He co-parents Alfred with ex-wife Lara Stone after the couple divorced in 2015 following a five-year marriage.
Mr Walliams remains single while ex Ms Stone has since found love with her property developer husband of four years, David Grievson.
Recent social media posts suggest he is currently enjoying a break in the Maldives.
