Former Britain’s Got Talent judge and bestselling children’s author David Walliams has been named as the high-profile celebrity at the centre of a major sexual misconduct investigation after losing a high-stakes court battle to keep his identity hidden.
It was revealed on Tuesday the 55-year-old comedian lost his bid to secure an injunction preventing media outlets from publishing allegations detailing alleged historical misconduct involving girls as young as 15.
The court originally ruled against Walliams last week, but extended an anonymity order to allow his legal team time to launch an appeal.
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The identity of the former Little Britain star was officially released after he missed the deadline to take the matter to the Court of Appeal.
The legal battle was brought by Walliams against Guardian News and Media and Independent Television News following a joint media investigation into his past conduct.
In a statement issued following the lifting of the reporting restrictions, Walliams strongly refuted allegations of illegal conduct or predatory behaviour, while acknowledging past missteps in his personal relationships.
“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,” Walliams said.
“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.”
The joint investigation by GNM and ITN detailing the full scope of the allegations has since been published in the UK.
