Award-winning children’s author and television personality David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher, HarperCollins UK, following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. The Telegraph reported that Walliams, 54, was the subject of complaints alleging he had “harassed” junior female staff, leading the publisher to decide against releasing any new titles by the author.

An internal inquiry was reportedly carried out by HarperCollins, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, after a junior employee made a complaint in 2023. Sources indicated that following this inquiry, steps were implemented to limit contact between Walliams and some employees. These measures included advising certain staff not to work directly with him, encouraging them to attend meetings in pairs, and discouraging visits to his home. One woman who raised concerns is understood to have left the company after reaching a settlement that included a five-figure payout.

The decision to sever ties came after HarperCollins’ former chief executive, Charlie Redmayne, stepped down in October, being replaced on an interim basis by Kate Elton. In a statement, a HarperCollins spokesperson confirmed: “After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams.” The publisher further added: “HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns. To respect the privacy of individuals we do not comment on internal matters.”

In response, Walliams has “strongly” denied the publisher’s allegations. A spokesperson for the author stated: “David has never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins. He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice.”

Walliams rose to prominence in the early 2000s as the co-creator and star of BBC’s sketch comedy series Little Britain, and later Come Fly With Me, becoming a cultural phenomenon. He then became a familiar television personality through roles as a presenter and as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent. From 2008, he reinvented himself as a children’s author, achieving immense commercial success with over 40 books and short story collections, estimated to have sold £100m worth of books by 2019. He was also made an OBE in 2017 for services to the arts and charity, having raised £2 million for Sport Relief by swimming the River Thames.

However, Walliams has faced other controversies in recent years. Critics have challenged aspects of his writing, including the use of stereotypes, leading to the removal of a story titled “Brian Wong, Who Was Never, Ever Wrong” from his book The World’s Worst Children in 2021. He also left his role as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 after 10 years, following reports of a leaked transcript from 2020 showing him making crude remarks about contestants during auditions. Walliams apologised for these comments and later sued Britain’s Got Talent producer Fremantle for misuse of private information, reaching an amicable resolution in 2023. Additionally, it was reported that he had made Nazi salutes while recording the BBC panel show Would I Lie To You?