Backstage questions rise as Walliams faces new allegations and HarperCollins exit

A new report raises questions about what Britain's Got Talent bosses may have known about David Walliams’ backstage what-if moments, as fresh allegations against the star judge filter into public view and a longtime publisher ends its association with him. The piece relies on interviews and court-of-records-style timelines to lay out a sequence of events spanning 2015, when Walliams invited a teenage fan to his dressing room during the BGT semi-finals, through 2020, when the same woman reflected publicly on that period, and into the current publishing setback that has sparked renewed scrutiny of the entertainer’s conduct.

The account centers on a May 2015 moment at the BGT semi-finals, held at the Hippodrome in Birmingham, when a 17-year-old fan posed for selfies with Walliams, then 44, as she and a friend joined other teenagers in a backstage gathering that included cupcakes and soft drinks. For the teen, the day felt flattering, a momentary brush with celebrity amid a crush of fans. Yet what began as a one-off encounter quickly grew into a year-long connection described by the woman as odd in hindsight. Walliams invited her to be a VIP guest again, connected her with his production team on social media, and offered to help her pursue a career in television production. The friendship reportedly involved regular contact, occasional visits to Walliams’ home, and a series of personal gestures, including a birthday phone call and an introduction to family members, according to the account.

Over the ensuing months, the friendship broadened to include a trip to watch Walliams’ colleagues and to attend performances tied to his work, such as visits to Birmingham venues and to his London home. The woman’s recollections describe a running thread of invitations and hospitality—burgers and chips before make-up sessions, backstage photos, and a gift-wrapped sense of personal attention that stood apart from the typical fan experience. The account notes that the pair moved in social circles where others in the production team would occasionally see the interactions, yet no one reported concerns at the time. Walliams’ public persona at the time was tied to his work as a judge on BGT and to his growing legacy as a children’s author, with best-sellers like Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy boosted by his television profile.

By February 2016, the friendship had moved through a sequence of invitations and shared experiences, including a night at Walliams’ London home, Supernova Heights, and a spa day at a luxury hotel, followed by a Christmas card featuring Walliams and his son, Alf. The relationship gradually cooled in 2016, according to the account, but the woman later suggested that she began to reassess the propriety of a 44-year-old man inviting underage fans into a dressing room—an assessment that appears to have intensified after she turned 18 and reflected on the dynamic in 2020.

While she has not levelled accusations of wrongdoing against Walliams, the posts she made in 2020 cast the events in a different light, with her posts describing a culture at the time where colleagues and insiders reportedly saw the dressing-room visits and did not intervene. Those posts—later analyzed by media outlets—highlighted concerns about power dynamics and boundary-setting in backstage spaces surrounding a high-profile talent show. Walliams’ team at the time remained in the mix of discussions about the show’s production and its stars, even as the broader public conversation about behind-the-scenes conduct intensified in later years. Walliams, for his part, has continued to deny wrongdoing and has asserted that he was unaware of any allegations against him. A representative described the claims as unsubstantiated and noted he was not party to any internal investigation and was currently seeking legal counsel.

The report also notes that the current wave of scrutiny comes as Walliams faces a separate set of professional consequences connected to his publisher. HarperCollins recently indicated it would stop releasing new titles by Walliams after allegations of harassing junior female employees surfaced, with reports of a five-figure payout to one staffer as part of a settlement. The process and timing of any internal inquiries were not fully disclosed, but Walliams’ representatives say he has not been informed of any allegations from HarperCollins and that he denies any inappropriate behavior. The company’s position, and that of Walliams’ agents, is that he was not party to any investigation and would respond through legal channels as appropriate.

In parallel, Talkback Thames, the production company behind Britain’s Got Talent, issued a statement saying there was no suggestion of impropriety by any member of the Talkback Thames team, and that insinuations to the contrary would be false and defamatory. Walliams’ representatives were contacted for comment.

The reporting underscores a broader industry conversation about backstage behavior and accountability, particularly on programs that rely on a blend of celebrity status, family-friendly branding, and long-running audience trust. It also highlights how personal histories tied to public success can become intertwined with contemporary expectations about professional conduct, consent, and mentorship in entertainment.

The girl at the center of the 2015 dressing-room invitation has not publicly accused Walliams of wrongdoing in the present disclosures; rather, the narrative focuses on the perception of the event and its implications for the participants involved, as well as the possible awareness (or lack thereof) among colleagues and producers who witnessed the interactions. The piece notes that the public-facing record of Walliams’ career—his work on BGT and his children’s books—continued to thrive for years, even as questions about his past conduct began to surface in reporting years later.

Ultimately, the episode adds to a growing archive of backstage moments that are being reevaluated in light of broader social expectations about consent, power, and the responsibilities of producers and networks to monitor the environments they cultivate for talent and fans alike. It also places renewed emphasis on the role of gatekeepers—the producers, agents, and publishers—who determine how to respond when concerns about a high-profile figure emerge in the public sphere. As the industry weighs these concerns, Walliams’ public standing will continue to be shaped by both legal processes and the evolving norms surrounding workplace conduct in entertainment.