David Walliams being investigated by police over alleged sexual offences

Note: This article contains discussion of sexual misconduct.

The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into David Walliams. The news comes in the wake of ITV News and The Guardian publishing reports this week detailing allegations of sexual misconduct.

In a statement, the Met said they have received "a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences involving a man now in his 50s".

Saying the people who have come forward are being supported by specialist officers, they added: "The allegations are separate from those reported by ITN and The Guardian. However, as part of their investigation, detectives are also proactively reviewing that reporting to establish whether there is any evidence of offences."

Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney said: "We would encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to come forward and speak to us, no matter when it happened.

“We know reporting allegations of this nature can be daunting, but specialist officers are on hand to provide support, answer questions and guide you through the process."

Walliams became a household name in the early 2000s thanks to the sketch comedy series Little Britain. He is also the author of several children's books and a former judge on Britain's Got Talent.

He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, telling The Guardian and ITV News: "I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”

More to follow.

Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who'll listen.