The downfall of David Walliams was a long time coming. According to the three-year investigation conducted by The Guardian and ITV News, the TV star is alleged to have preyed on girls as young as 15, with allegations dating back to 2003. Coupled with the news that the now-convicted Russell Brand crimes of sexual assault, also proves the mistreatment of women within showbiz can no longer be kept under wraps. After the truth about these disgraced comedians’ public personas was exposed, there were claims that they had been “hiding in plain sight,” but this wasn’t the case.
These celebrities were proudly parading their predatory and inappropriate behaviours on screen and in front of live audiences, hoping to be excused as quirky humour during watershed hours.
David also boldly attempted to hide behind injunctions and block the investigation from being made public, which included the outlets speaking to more than 100 people, including over 30 sources with direct first-hand accounts.
His abuse of power saw him try and silence women by allegedly forcing them to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), which reportedly even banned them from speaking to a therapist about what happened.
While the former Britain’s Got Talent judge has denied any wrongdoing, I can’t help but feel like a veil has finally been ripped off the world of showbiz and the house of cards will come tumbling down.
David Walliams denies all wrongdoing (Image: Getty)
In the fallout of these allegations, a history of David’s inappropriate behaviour appeared to be part of his reputation, an industry secret and something to be joked about publicly.
This happened in 2004 at the British Comedy Awards, when Jonathan Ross took to the stage, stating: “And like all 15-year-olds, it’s drunk, it’s unpredictable, and it’s probably going home with David Walliams.”
As the camera panned to the Little Britain star, he didn’t appear disgusted by the jibe but instead boldly laughed at the punchline.
After the clip resurfaced, Jonathan issued a statement saying he was “horrified” by the allegations and called revisiting the footage “deeply shocking”. He explained that the line was written by the show’s scriptwriting team and that he had assumed it was an exaggeration of David publicly dating younger women.
Russell and David had a reputation within showbiz (Image: Getty)
Footage from a 2007 live stage show has also resurfaced, showing the actor performing in his Little Britain character as Des Kaye during an audience participation game called “hide the sausage”.
While the 55-year-old has since responded to the claims, stating: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law,” and expressed regret for behaving “thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with.
He added: “I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret.”
It’s not enough for predatory celebrities to hide behind grovelling apologies, after using their power and influence to force injunctions on people.
I, for one, am glad the veil has been lifted and the truth is being exposed, with what appears to be more downfalls incoming. Perhaps it’s time to take these people off screens for good, as soon as a repeated pattern of inappropriate behaviour is pointed out.
David continued to be booked on daytime shows and became a best-selling author, leaving a trail of controversies. Perhaps it’s also time to hold television executives accountable for their talent’s misdeeds.
