EXCLUSIVE – Comic Relief confirms David Walliams is no longer an honorary trustee and has ‘no formal association’ with charity

The European also reveals the comedian’s previously unreported departure from children’s hospice Rainbows in 2023, attributed to “logistics and other commitments”, as fresh allegations rock British showbusiness following Russell Brand’s imprisonment

David Walliams is no longer an honorary trustee of Comic Relief and has “no plans to work with him in the future”, the charity has confirmed exclusively to The European, as the comedian faces allegations of sexual misconduct involving girls as young as 15.

The confirmation comes as the author and former Britain’s Got Talent judge was today named as the celebrity who unsuccessfully tried to prevent The Guardian and ITV News from publishing allegations against him, following a three-year investigation.

The allegations against Walliams have emerged just a day after fellow comedian Russell Brand was jailed for 10 years and six months for rape and sexual assault.

Brand, 51, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, having been convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.

Walliams, 55, strongly denies the allegations against him.

Following an investigation by The European, Comic Relief today confirmed that Walliams no longer holds the honorary trustee position.

He was once among its most prominent celebrity fundraisers, raising millions of pounds through endurance challenges for Sport Relief, including swimming the English Channel in 2006 and the River Thames in 2011.

In a 2017 article on its website, which Comic Relief has told The European it will review in the coming days, the charity described Walliams as a “brilliant supporter”, while his former publisher, HarperCollins, called him “adored by millions of children worldwide”.

But a spokesman for Comic Relief said: “David Walliams has no formal association with Comic Relief. 

“We are in the process of reviewing our website content and we have no plans to work with David Walliams in the future.”

In a separate, previously unreported development, The European can also reveal that Walliams stepped down as a patron of Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People in 2023, ending a nine-year association with the charity. 

His departure was confirmed by the hospice following enquiries made during The European’s wider examination of Walliams’ charitable links.

Jane Burns, the hospice’s chief executive, said: “David Walliams was a Patron of Rainbows from 2014 to 2023. 

“In 2023 as part of a Patron review, David decided to step down because of logistics and other commitments.”

The revelations come as Walliams faces allegations of sexual misconduct detailed in a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News, which interviewed more than 100 people, including more than 30 sources with first-hand accounts.

Among the allegations are accounts from two women who say they first encountered Walliams when they were 15.

One woman, identified as Alex, alleged that she met him at a Little Britain fan event when she was 15 and subsequently remained in contact with him. She claimed they began a sexual relationship when she was 17, although Walliams maintains that he believed she was 18.

Another woman, identified as Jade, alleged that Walliams contacted her through MySpace when she was 15 before meeting her in London and sexually assaulting her at his home. His lawyers deny that he had any sexual contact with her.

The investigation also reported allegations of inappropriate conduct and sexual harassment involving women connected to Britain’s Got Talent and his former publisher, HarperCollins.

In a written response to the journalists, Walliams wrote: “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.

He added: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”

Walliams had attempted to prevent the investigation from being published by seeking a High Court injunction against the two news organisations.

His lawyers argued that publication could place his life at risk, citing his mental health and previous suicide attempts.

But Mr Justice Nicklin rejected the application on 3 November, ruling that the investigation concerned matters of substantial public interest and that preventing publication would seriously interfere with freedom of expression.

Walliams’ identity remained protected while he had an opportunity to appeal, but he did not pursue an appeal before yesterday’s deadline, allowing The Guardian and ITV News to name him today.

The judge made clear that his decision did not establish whether the allegations were true.

The European has contacted Walliams’ legal representative for comment.

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_{Main image: David Walliams, pictured at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in 2018, is no longer a patron of Comic Relief or children’s hospice Rainbows, both charities have confirmed to The European. Credit: Krixnadelapaz/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)}