When Celebrity Becomes a Licence to Do Whatever the Hell You Like

Well, well, well.

Another famous man. Another collection of disturbing allegations. Another entertainment industry scandal that leaves us wondering what the hell has been going on behind the velvet curtains.

This time it’s David Walliams.

Yes, THAT David Walliams.

The comedian, former Britain’s Got Talent judge, Little Britain star and enormously successful children’s author.

The man who has sold more than 60 million children’s books.

And now British police are investigating allegations of serious sexual offences involving him.

Let me be absolutely clear. Walliams denies the allegations. He has not been convicted of anything, and an investigation is not proof of guilt.

But the allegations themselves deserve to be taken seriously.

According to investigations by The Guardian and ITV News, several women have accused Walliams of inappropriate sexual behaviour, including allegations that he groomed girls as young as 15.

FIFTEEN.

An age when most kids are worrying about school, friendships and whether somebody fancies them.

Not whether a famous adult is taking advantage of their admiration.

And here’s what really gets up my nose.

The extraordinary power we hand to celebrities.

We put them on television. We applaud them. We buy their books. We laugh at their jokes. We make them rich beyond most people’s wildest dreams.

And somewhere along the way, some famous people seem to forget that celebrity doesn’t place them above ordinary standards of behaviour.

Walliams has acknowledged that he sometimes behaved thoughtlessly in past casual relationships, while firmly denying that he abused his fame or broke the law.

But this raises a much bigger question.

When a famous man approaches a teenage fan, how equal is that relationship?

He’s got the fame, the money, the connections and the influence.

She’s got a bedroom full of posters and the excitement of being noticed by somebody she’s admired.

That’s hardly a level playing field, is it?

And where the hell are the people surrounding these celebrities?

The managers. The agents. The television executives. The publishers. The people whose livelihoods depend on keeping the celebrity gravy train rolling.

Do they genuinely know nothing when concerns arise?

Sometimes perhaps they don’t.

But when complaints are made, surely the responsibility is to investigate them properly, rather than worry about protecting a valuable brand.

Walliams’ publisher, HarperCollins UK, stopped publishing new books by him in 2025 following reports about alleged inappropriate behaviour involving junior female employees. He denied those allegations too.

Now his literary agency has reportedly dropped him, and the BBC has begun removing some of his programmes.

Funny how quickly the machinery can move when a scandal becomes public.

Where was all that urgency before?

And there’s another thing.

Why does it so often take women years to speak publicly about alleged sexual misconduct?

Perhaps because accusing a powerful celebrity is terrifying.

Imagine being a young woman confronting somebody with money, lawyers, influence and an army of devoted fans.

Imagine knowing that strangers might dissect your private life, question your motives and accuse you of wanting attention.

I’d imagine keeping quiet might seem considerably easier.

Which is precisely why allegations deserve a proper, independent investigation.

Not a trial by social media.

Not a public relations exercise.

An actual investigation.

And if allegations are substantiated, there should be consequences, regardless of how many television awards somebody has won or how many books they’ve sold.

If they’re not substantiated, that matters too.

Justice has to work both ways.

But what I find particularly disturbing about stories like this is the possibility that fame itself can become a tool for exploiting vulnerable people.

Because being funny doesn’t make somebody decent.

Being charming doesn’t make somebody trustworthy.

And writing children’s books certainly doesn’t make somebody incapable of behaving badly.

I don’t know whether David Walliams committed any offence. That’s for the police and, if charges follow, the courts to determine.

What I do know is that no celebrity should be so valuable that allegations against them become somebody else’s inconvenience.

Fame is not a character reference.

And it sure as hell isn’t a licence to do whatever you like.

Perhaps it’s time we stopped treating celebrities as gods and remembered that they’re just people.

Some wonderful.

Some ordinary.

And some, potentially, with a great deal to answer for.

Let’s see what the investigation uncovers.