BBC finally removes David Walliams programmes from iPlayer amid serious allegations

The BBC has confirmed it is removing Little Britain and several other programmes featuring David Walliams from its platforms following allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct against the comedian.

On Tuesday (10.11.26), Walliams, 55, was identified as the celebrity behind a legal injunction seeking to prevent the publication of allegations that he contacted teenage girls and young women for sexual purposes.

A High Court judge had previously rejected Walliams’ attempt to block publication of the allegations, although he was granted permission to appeal and his identity was temporarily kept secret. However, the comedian and writer missed a 4.30pm deadline on Monday (09.11.26) to take his case to the Court of Appeal, allowing his identity to be made public.

A three-year joint investigation by ITV News and The Guardian has uncovered multiple allegations dating back to 2003, with some of the women involved reportedly as young as 15. Walliams denies all the allegations.

In a statement to The Guardian and ITV News, the comedian said: “Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with… I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret.

“And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did…

“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.”

In response to the allegations, the BBC has confirmed that it is removing selected programmes while undertaking a wider review of all content featuring or written by Walliams.

A BBC spokesperson told The Guardian and ITV News: “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 under way.”

Among the programmes removed from BBC iPlayer are the comedy series Little Britain, the airport mockumentary Come Fly With Me, and episodes of The Wheel and Would I Lie To You? featuring Walliams.

The 2011 Doctor Who episode The God Complex, in which Walliams played Gibbis, a cowardly moleman alien, has also been taken off the streaming service.

Walliams and comedy partner Matt Lucas became household names following the success of Little Britain, which first aired in 2003 and ran for three series until 2005, alongside several subsequent specials.

However, the series has faced growing criticism in recent years over its use of racial stereotypes, blackface and other controversial comedy. It was removed from streaming platforms, including Netflix and BBC iPlayer, in 2020 before returning to BBC iPlayer in 2022 with content warnings and certain edits.

Several characters attracted particular criticism, including Desiree DeVere, Thai bride Ting Tong, Only Gay in the Village Dafydd Thomas, and Emily Howard and Florence Rose.

In 2020, Walliams and Lucas, 52, apologised for sketches containing racial stereotypes, acknowledging that their portrayal of certain characters had been “wrong”.

Despite the controversy surrounding their previous work, the pair have been developing a new comedy series since 2023, promising a return to the edgy humour and style associated with their earlier television projects.

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