HarperCollins will phase out remaining copies of David Walliams's books after announcing last year that it would no longer publish him. This decision followed allegations of inappropriate behavior towards young women. Walliams has denied any claims and stated that he was not informed of an investigation by HarperCollins.
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Confirming the move, HarperCollins announced it would gradually remove Walliams's titles from stores, as well as from e-book and audio formats available online, according to The Bookseller. The Independent has reached out to both Walliams and HarperCollins for comments on the situation.
HarperCollins has published all 23 of Walliams's children's books, starting with 2008's *The Boy in the Dress*, alongside various short story collections and picture books, totaling over 60 million copies sold worldwide. Several of his books, including *Mr Stink*, *Gangsta Granny*, and *Ratburger*, have been adapted for television. Recently, these titles and his author page disappeared from the HarperCollins website.
In December, the publisher stated, “after careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO,” it would not be releasing any new works by Walliams. This decision followed a report from The Telegraph regarding a complaint from a junior colleague about his conduct, which led to the interviews of other staff members. Former employees alleged they were advised to avoid visiting his home and to work in pairs during meetings with him.
A spokesperson for HarperCollins emphasized their commitment to employee wellbeing, stating that they have procedures for reporting and investigating concerns but could not comment on internal matters to respect privacy.
Walliams has consistently denied the allegations. His spokesperson noted that he has not received any notification about allegations made by HarperCollins, nor had he been part of any investigation or allowed to respond to questions, asserting that he is taking legal advice.
Shortly after HarperCollins's announcement, the Waterstones Children’s Book Festival also removed Walliams from its line-up. The actor and comedian gained prominence in the early 2000s alongside Matt Lucas through BBC sketch comedies like *Little Britain* and *Come Fly with Me*. He served as a judge on *Britain's Got Talent* from 2012 for a decade but departed following a leaked transcript that contained obscene remarks he made about contestants. In 2022, he referred to one contestant in a derogatory manner and made inappropriate comments about another.
Walliams later apologized for these statements, claiming they stemmed from a private conversation that was never supposed to be public. He also pursued legal action against BGT's production company, FremantleMedia, regarding the leak, which was settled in November 2023.