A former Britain’s Got Talent crew member has detailed an alleged “uncomfortable” encounter in David Walliams’ dressing room, amid a series of serious allegations against the comedian. Walliams has been accused of inappropriate sexual behaviour towards multiple women and teenage girls in a major joint investigation by ITV News and The Guardian. The allegations, which go as far back as 2003, are detailed in a new ITV documentary, David Walliams: Power and Silence. The investigation took more than three years, and features accounts from women who allege the Little Britain star used his celebrity status to pursue them sexually. One woman accuses Walliams of making unwanted sexual contact with her when she was 15. Another claims she was 15 and Walliams was 32 when he offered to help her break into the TV industry, alleging their relationship became sexual when she was 17. Credit: ITV Other women have accused the former Britain’s Got Talent judge of exploiting their vulnerability, while former employees have raised concerns about his alleged behaviour behind the scenes. Walliams has denied the allegations, saying he “regrets” behaving “thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with” in the past. However, he added, “I am not a sexual predator… I have not broken the law… I am devastated that some of the women I met ten to twenty years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.” The documentary also examines Walliams’ decade-long stint on Britain’s Got Talent, where former crew members have spoken about incidents they claim made them uncomfortable. Among them is a former judge runner, identified as Mark, who recalled a particular encounter in Walliams’ dressing room. Mark worked with Walliams for a week of Britain’s Got Talent live shows in 2017, helping with the judge’s day-to-day needs backstage. He described his role as doing “whatever was needed”. But, the documentary states, there were scenes he witnessed that made him feel “uncomfortable.” “There was an occasion where I was called to David’s dressing room to do a task, and when I went in, there was two very young people in there,” Mark said. “David had like had a shower, and then was in a towel.” Mark said he had felt uneasy about Walliams’ behaviour on several occasions but had not reported his concerns. He also recalled receiving an unexpected gift from the comedian at the end of the live shows. Mark explained that he was surprised by his from Walliams. “There was an envelope that I later opened that had £300 in and a signed card,” he said. “When I mentioned that in front of one of the production coordinators, she said, ‘Oh, there’s your hush money.’” In response to the documentary, Walliams denied that the payment was intended to buy Mark’s silence, telling ITV News and The Guardian there was “nothing that needed covering up”. He said he gave other runners the same amount and described Mark’s comments as a “smear”. A spokesperson for Fremantle UK, the production company behind Britain’s Got Talent, told Film Shrine: “We are disturbed and concerned at these serious allegations. David Walliams has not been a judge on Britain’s Got Talent for more than four years. During his time on the show and in the intervening period, no complaint was ever made regarding his behaviour to Fremantle UK. “If anyone feels they have been the subject of any impropriety or wrongdoing by anyone on any Fremantle or associated labels’ productions, we encourage them to come forward. We will treat any complaints seriously. Protecting the welfare of our employees, freelancers, contributors and fans has always been and absolutely remains paramount for the company.” Walliams remained a judge on Britain’s Got Talent until 2022, when recordings emerged of him making derogatory comments about contestants during filming. He subsequently left the programme. David Walliams: Power and Silence is available to watch on YouTube now. Film Shrine has contacted Walliams’ representative for further comment. Featured image credit: Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock Post navigation Next storyPrevious story
