The BBC has removed Little Britain from iPlayer while it reviews all material featuring and written by David Walliams, hours after a joint ITV News and Guardian investigation published serious allegations against him.
A BBC spokesperson told LADbible: “These are serious allegations. As such, the BBC is looking carefully at all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms. We are in the process of removing some programmes, including Little Britain, whilst this review is underway.”
An episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, focused on Walliams, has also been taken down. The BBC said it is reviewing material featuring Walliams across its platforms, but has not named any other programmes being removed.
The removal came just hours after the three-year joint investigation by ITV News and The Guardian was published today, 10 November. The investigation alleges sexual misconduct involving young women, including two women who met Walliams when they were 15.
Walliams denies all allegations. In a letter to The Guardian and ITV News, he said: “Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with.”
“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.”
ITV News will air its documentary, David Walliams: Power and Silence, tonight at 10.50pm. It can already be watched on ITV News’ YouTube channel.
Walliams had previously lost a case in the High Court to block publication of the allegations, although a temporary banning order prevented his name from being published in case he appealed. He did not make an application to appeal before the deadline, leading to ITN and The Guardian publishing the allegations today.
Lawyers for The Guardian and ITN had argued that publication was in the public interest, while Walliams’ defence claimed publication would make it “highly likely” that he would kill himself. The presiding judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, acknowledged that these claims should be taken seriously but said they do not “establish that suicide is inevitable or that treatment cannot reduce the risk”.
Since the allegations were published, Walliams has also been suspended by the Labour Party and dropped by the Independent Talent Group.
This is not the first time Little Britain has been taken off iPlayer. The show was removed from iPlayer, Netflix and BritBox in 2020, and was restored to iPlayer in 2022 with several scenes cut.
The BBC’s removal is an interim step while its review is underway. It is not a finding against Walliams, and no charges have been reported. Walliams was named in the joint investigation today after reporting restrictions were lifted.
