UK publisher HarperCollins drops ‘Little Britain’ star David Walliams’ entire back catalogue after harassment allegations

British comedian David Walliams, whose children’s books have sold more than 60 million copies, has had his backlist dropped by HarperCollins UK. — AFP pic

First Published: Saturday, 19 Sep 2026 10:02 AM MYT

LONDON, Sept 19 — Publishing house HarperCollins UK said yesterday it would no longer publish the back catalogue of British comedian and best-selling children’s author David Walliams after he faced accusations of harassing female staff.

“I can confirm that HarperCollins will no longer be publishing David Walliams’s backlist,” a spokesman said in a statement sent to AFP.

The move came after the publisher announced in December it would not publish any new titles by Walliams, saying it “takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously”.

The Daily Telegraph had published an investigative article in December claiming a junior employee at the publisher had complained about Walliams’ conduct, prompting an internal investigation.

As a result, one employee agreed a financial settlement and the publisher advised staff not to visit Walliams at home and to work in pairs, the Telegraph wrote.

Walliams’s agent said at the time that the author strongly denied inappropriate behaviour.

His website has since been shut down and his X account with two million followers has not been updated since December.

Walliams rose to fame as co-star of the BBC sketch comedy series Little Britain with Matt Lucas. As a children’s author, he sold over 60 million copies.

He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) medal in 2017 for charity fundraising efforts including swimming the length of the River Thames.

Between 2008 and 2025, he wrote a series of children’s books published by HarperCollins including The Boy in the Dress. Some were televised and he became one of the UK’s best-selling children’s authors.

In 2022 his reputation was mired by a Guardian investigation that found he was recorded making derogatory sexual remarks while judging contestants on television show Britain’s Got Talent. — AFP