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Walliams will not appeal ruling allowing allegations to be published
Developing story first seen 10 hours ago
David Walliams’s lawyers have confirmed he will not appeal against a High Court ruling that allows allegations against him to be published. The decision clears the way for a joint investigation by the Guardian and ITV News, which the judge said concerned matters of substantial public interest.
The investigation drew on 30 sources with first-hand accounts. Two women said they first met Walliams when they were 15 and described being groomed; other allegations concern his conduct around Britain’s Got Talent and his former publisher HarperCollins. Walliams denies wrongdoing. The court heard he had attempted suicide and was receiving inpatient psychiatric care; the judge acknowledged grave risks to Walliams and his son but found that an injunction would seriously interfere with press freedom.
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In short
- Walliams will not appeal the ruling allowing publication.
- A joint investigation gathered accounts from 30 sources.
- Walliams denies wrongdoing; the court heard he was receiving psychiatric care.
How this story developed
- 4 hours ago Walliams’ lawyers again confirmed he would not challenge the ruling, which the judge said balanced serious risks to Walliams and his son against the public interest and press freedom.
- 5 hours ago The no-appeal decision was reiterated, with the investigation’s allegations including accounts from two women who said they met Walliams at 15 and were groomed, as well as claims relating to Britain’s Got Talent and HarperCollins.
- 6 hours ago Walliams’ lawyers said he would not appeal the ruling, clearing the way for the investigation’s accounts to be published.
- 8 hours ago David Walliams faced allegations from multiple women that he used his celebrity and professional influence to pursue them for sex, which he denied, as a High Court judge rejected his bid to block publication of a Guardian and ITV News investigation based on 30 first-hand sources.
- Daily Mail David Walliams's £5m 'Supernova Heights' mansion where he's accused of 'sexually assaulting' 15-year-old girl and hosting a celebrity party where he targeted a young woman
- Daily Mail David Walliams puts £12m mansion up for sale and slashes asking price by £1.45m after struggling to find buyer – as he's accused of preying on girls as young as 15
- The Guardian Walliams will not appeal ruling allowing allegations to be published
- Daily Express Chilling moment celebrity’s wife ‘tried to save young girl from David Walliams’
Full account
David Walliams, the comedian, television personality and best-selling children’s author, has been accused by multiple women of using his fame and professional influence to pursue young women and girls for sex. He denies wrongdoing. The allegations were reported jointly by the Guardian and ITV News after the High Court rejected Walliams’ attempt to prevent publication; his lawyers have said he will not appeal.
The reports describe accounts from 30 people with first-hand knowledge of Walliams’ conduct. Two women said they first met him when they were 15, and later felt they had been groomed. They said the experiences had affected them for years. The allegations also concern women he met through Britain’s Got Talent and HarperCollins, where he was accused of having a sexual relationship with a junior employee.
One of the reports gives a detailed account from a woman identified as Jade. She alleges that, in August 2007, when she was 15, Walliams contacted her through MySpace and arranged to meet her in Soho. She says he asked about her sexual experience, kissed her, then drove her to his former north London home, Supernova Heights. There, she alleges, he touched her breast and put her hand down his trousers. These are allegations; the supplied reports do not describe a court finding on them.
The legal challenge centred on Walliams’ mental health and the public interest in reporting the claims. The court heard that he had twice attempted suicide after the allegations were put to him and had been detained and treated in hospital. His barrister argued that publication posed a serious risk to his life and sought a lifelong injunction, which would also have prevented the women from telling their accounts. The judge acknowledged a grave risk to Walliams and the likely impact on his teenage son, but concluded that the reporting concerned substantial matters of public interest and refused to block it.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The Guardian and ITV News account foregrounds the breadth of the investigation, the claims involving women met through television and publishing work, and the High Court dispute over publication. The second supplied report concentrates on Jade’s specific allegation about an encounter at Supernova Heights and adds background about the house and its former owner, Noel Gallagher.
The first report refers to Walliams as 55, while the second contains an apparent age inconsistency: it describes him as 46 in one caption and says he had recently turned 36 at the time of the alleged 2007 encounter. The supplied material does not resolve that discrepancy.
Left-leaning outlets 1
Only here: appeal, ruling, allowing, allegations, published
Right-leaning outlets 3
- David Walliams's £5m 'Supernova Heights' mansion where he's accused of 'sexually assaulting' 15-year-old girl and hosting a celebrity party where he targeted a young womanDaily Mail
- David Walliams puts £12m mansion up for sale and slashes asking price by £1.45m after struggling to find buyer – as he's accused of preying on girls as young as 15Daily Mail
- Chilling moment celebrity’s wife ‘tried to save young girl from David Walliams’Daily Express
Only here: david, young, mansion, accused, girl
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The case for
Publishing the allegations serves the public interest because they concern claims of grooming and the use of celebrity and professional power, including around a major television programme and a publisher. The investigation draws on multiple first-hand accounts, and the court found that suppressing it would seriously interfere with press freedom; reporting can also enable scrutiny while making clear that the claims remain allegations.
The case against
The allegations are grave and Walliams denies wrongdoing, so publication risks causing lasting reputational harm before the claims have been tested in court. The judge heard evidence of serious risks to Walliams’s mental health and his son, giving weight to the argument that publication should be handled with exceptional care and that privacy and safety can sometimes justify limits on press freedom.
Explained simply
David Walliams is a British television personality and children’s author, best known to many viewers for appearing as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent. The programme is a popular TV talent show, and his public profile has also been built through his books and other television work.
The allegations concern whether Walliams used his fame or work relationships to pursue women, including some who say they met him as teenagers. They relate to several settings, including the talent show and his former publisher, HarperCollins. Walliams denies wrongdoing.
The case raises questions about how people with public status and professional influence behave towards younger people and colleagues. It also involves the balance between privacy and press freedom when reporting allegations that are said to be in the public interest.
Coverage · 4 sources
Bias meters
From 4 rated sources.
- The GuardianLeftWalliams will not appeal ruling allowing allegations to be published
- Daily MailRightDavid Walliams's £5m 'Supernova Heights' mansion where he's accused of 'sexually assaulting' 15-year-old girl and hosting a celebrity party where he targeted a young woman
- Daily MailRightDavid Walliams puts £12m mansion up for sale and slashes asking price by £1.45m after struggling to find buyer – as he's accused of preying on girls as young as 15
- Daily ExpressRightChilling moment celebrity’s wife ‘tried to save young girl from David Walliams’
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Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “Revealed: David Walliams accused of using celebrity status to prey on young women for sex”.