David Walliams’ former primary school is reviewing whether to keep his books on its shelves, after allegations of sexual misconduct against the children’s author became public.
Collingwood Boys’ School in Wallington, where Walliams attended as a primary school pupil, said it was “revisiting its collection” as part of its regular review of the books available to pupils.
A spokesperson said: “Collingwood regularly reviews the books available to pupils. The current situation surrounding David Walliams has prompted us to revisit our collection as part of this ongoing process, rather than as an isolated or reactive decision.”
Key facts
- School: Collingwood Boys’ School, Wallington — Walliams attended as a primary school pupil
- What is happening: The school is reviewing whether to remove his books from its library
- The allegations: Walliams, 55, has been accused of sexual misconduct and sexual assault by several women following an investigation by ITV News and The Guardian
- His position: Walliams denies all the claims made against him and has insisted he is not a “sexual predator”
- No charges: No charges have been brought. The Metropolitan Police has said it has not received any related reports of sexual assault or any other offences (reference 4900/10NOV26)
What the school said
The school’s statement makes clear the review is part of an ongoing process of looking at what is on its shelves, not a decision taken in isolation. It has not said whether any books have actually been removed, or when the review will conclude.
It comes as schools and libraries across the country face the same question, with calls in some quarters for Walliams’ titles to be banned from shelves altogether.
The wider debate over the books
Author Emma Rosen, a children’s author and teacher from Deal in Kent, said she believes Walliams’ books should be reassessed and reclassified, so schools and libraries can decide whether they are suitable for children in the wake of the allegations.
She is also calling for better guidance to schools and libraries on whether removing the books is the right move, rather than leaving individual teachers and librarians to decide alone.
The mum-of-three said: “Lots of school teachers and librarians have felt uncomfortable enough to remove these books from their shelves. But they’ve navigated removing the books entirely, or making them less accessible, by themselves.”
“My personal position is we look at classification of these books including their content and decide whether it is appropriate for children or stocked on shelves. If we are able to say that we are following guidance, it doesn’t put pressure on this becoming the individual’s responsibility — and also helps tackle the issue of censorship.”
She said librarians and teachers could face difficult questioning by parents over the next few days, and suggested they prepare a list of alternative titles.
“Banning books is not necessarily a good way forward and I don’t believe in censoring them. But these books are potentially not appropriate for certain age groups,” she said.
“Books are held in a certain amount of esteem because of the time when books had been banned and people are very uncomfortable to even throw a book away. As a result, bookshops want to remove stock and parents are taking them off shelves — but the second hand market is going to be absolutely flooded.”
How the controversy has unfolded
Walliams, once one of the UK’s biggest-selling children’s authors, known for titles such as Mr Stink and The Boy In The Dress, was accused of using his celebrity status to prey on young women, including one who alleged she was 15 when he first contacted her. He denies all the claims.
He had asked the High Court to block publication of the investigation, arguing that if he was named he would likely take his own life. The application was denied.
His literary career had already drawn controversy in 2021, when he was accused of writing “harmful” Chinese stereotypes in his 2016 short story collection The World’s Worst Children. A new edition of the book was released without the story “Brian Wong, Who Was Never, Ever Wrong”.
He was dropped from his publisher HarperCollins in 2025, before the firm announced in September that it would no longer publish his books. The World of David Walliams attraction at Alton Towers permanently closed earlier this month, before the allegations were published.
This week, a BBC spokesperson described the claims as “serious” as it confirmed Little Britain had been removed from BBC iPlayer. The BBC’s decision to remove Little Britain from iPlayer followed the publication of the allegations, and a minister has urged anyone with information to contact the police.
Some shops and libraries still have Walliams’ books on the shelves, but Waterstones has confirmed it is in discussions about returning remaining stock.
What happens next
Rosen said she believes guidance from a body such as the School Library Association would help, adding: “This isn’t going to be the only scenario.”
For now, Collingwood’s review continues, and the school has given no date for a decision. The allegations against Walliams remain allegations: he denies them, and no charges have been brought.
