World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Agent says broadcasters were told of Walliams allegations but no action was known
TV agent Dermot McNamara says he reported allegations of inappropriate behaviour by David Walliams to authorities and broadcasters, but was unaware of any action. The claims raise questions about how the television industry handled safeguarding concerns while Walliams continued working with young people.
McNamara represents a woman who says she met Walliams when she was 16, after he contacted her on social media and invited her to Britain’s Got Talent screenings; she alleges inappropriate behaviour later took place at his home. Other women have also made allegations, including one who described an encounter when she was 15 as sexual assault. Walliams denies being a sexual predator or breaking the law, while saying he regrets behaving thoughtlessly; BGT producer Fremantle UK says it received no complaint about his behaviour.
In short
- An agent says he reported allegations about Walliams to authorities and broadcasters.
- He says he knows of no action taken.
- Walliams denies being a sexual predator and says he broke no law.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
If the allegations were reported to broadcasters or authorities, they should have taken them seriously and assessed any risks, particularly given Walliams’s work with young people. A clear safeguarding response could help protect others, establish what happened and show that credible concerns are not overlooked, even when they have not been proven.
The case against
Allegations must be investigated fairly rather than treated as established facts, and any action should be proportionate to the evidence available at the time. Walliams denies predatory or unlawful conduct, and Fremantle UK says it received no complaint; without knowing what information reached each organisation or what steps were taken, it is difficult to conclude that a particular response was warranted.
Explained simply
David Walliams is a comedian and television presenter who was a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, a programme made by Fremantle UK. The allegations described here concern women who say they met him when they were teenagers; one says she was 16 when he contacted her online and invited her to screenings.
The claims raise questions about how concerns involving young people were reported and handled in television. McNamara says he told authorities and broadcasters about allegations, but did not know whether they acted. Walliams denies being a sexual predator or breaking the law, and Fremantle UK says it received no complaint about his behaviour.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Broadcasters ‘ignored reports David Walliams was grooming teenage girls’: TV agent warned bosses about inappropriate behaviour years ago but they ‘did nothing’”.