World of David Walliams permanently closed at Alton Towers

Alton Towers has permanently closed its World of David Walliams attraction, the theme park has announced.

The attraction opened in 2021 originally as part of a collaboration with Walliams and HarperCollins inspired by his children’s books such as Gangsta Granny.

The theme park said in a statement on its website : “The World of David Walliams will be permanently closed from Tuesday 3 November 2026. As we are no longer in the main season, guests are encouraged to check the Alton Towers Resort website and app for the latest attraction opening information ahead of their visit.”

Attractions included Gangsta Granny: The Ride, Raj's Bouncy Bottom Burp and the Royal Carousel.

Walliams first rose to fame through the comedy sketch show Little Britain in the early noughties, alongside co-star Matt Lucas. He later appeared on shows such as Britain’s Got Talent and wrote children’s books that sold more than 60 million copies worldwide.

HarperCollins announced in September that it would phase out remaining copies of the author’s books after stating last year they would no longer publish him.

The book publisher said it dropped Walliams last year following reports that he was accused of behaving inappropriately towards young women. Walliams has strongly denied any claims and said at the time that he had not been informed about an investigation by HarperCollins.

HarperCollins published all 23 of the children’s books written by Walliams, beginning with 2008’s The Boy in the Dress, as well as his short story collections and picture books. Six of them have been adapted for TV.

Those titles – which include bestsellers Mr Stink, Gangsta Granny and Ratburger – have since disappeared from the HarperCollins website, along with his author page.

HarperCollins announced in December last year that “after careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO”, it would not be publishing any new titles by Walliams following a report from The Telegraph about a complaint from a junior colleague relating to his conduct.

Former employees alleged to the publication that they were advised not to visit his home and to work in pairs when meeting with him.

A spokesperson for Harper Collins said at the time: “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.”

A spokesperson for Walliams said at the time: “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.”

The theme park made the decision as it undertakes its annual planning process, where it assesses elements of the attraction offering. This involves taking into account a range of operational and guest experience decisions. It remains unclear what the area will be used for in the future.