What Was the Reaction to Our David Walliams Investigation?

Well, tonight, David Walliams is facing serious repercussions as a result of our investigation. Downing Street called the allegations deeply troubling. This afternoon, he was dropped by his long-term literary agent. The Labour Party suspended him as a member, and the BBC says it is in the process of removing programmes starring him, including Little Britain. Well, our correspondent, Rachel Younger, is here with the details. So what is the latest you're hearing, Rachel? Well, Mary, you may well remember that it was the comedy sketch show, Little Britain, that David Walliams both co-wrote and featured in that first made him a household name. Computer says no. Bye. Bye. Now it was originally aired in 2003 and some of the episodes had already been dropped by the BBC from iPlayer a few years ago because of the use of racial caricatures. But today in the light of the allegations that we've been reporting on the BBC went much further. They say they are dropping the Little Britain series entirely with the BBC spokesperson saying these are serious allegations. As such the BBC is looking carefully at all material featuring and written by David Walliams On our platforms, meanwhile, we spoke to ITV, who said that they're not needing to drop anything because he no longer features on any of their platforms, adding, though, that their thoughts are with those who've spoken out. But it's not just the broadcasters who are cutting ties with David Walliams. As Lucy was saying, his books have sold more than 60 million copies across the globe, and his publisher, HarperCollins, announced they were dropping him late last year. But today, in the light of what's been reported, the literary agency responsible for first brokering that deal. confirmed to us that they've terminated their relationship of almost two decades with him, telling us... ITG is deeply disturbed by the allegations concerning David Walliams. Our thoughts are with anyone who's been affected. We are no longer representing him in any capacity. But it goes beyond that. In the last hour or two, the government has said it will not be using his titles as part of their book giveaway to children that was announced recently. And I think it's a measure of both David Walliams' fame and influence that even Downing Street have got involved, releasing statements saying that they find these allegations... Clearly, deeply troubling. Now, it is worth saying again, Mary, that the author and television star denies all the allegations against him. But a number of the women who've spoken to us have said that what they have found hardest to deal with over the past few years has been the constant reminders of David Walliams because his books and his TV shows are so ever-present. Now, since questions began to be raised over the past year, that presence has began to fade. Tonight, I think, Mary, it's being all but erased. Behind the showbiz smiles, there was always a bleaker side to David Walliams, a lifelong struggle with depression about which he spoke candidly. When I'm with my own thoughts, I start to unravel myself and I start to think really dark thoughts, self-destructive thoughts. He was also open about what he once described as a sex addiction. Two facets of a troubled personality that came together at the High Court where he tried to silence allegations about his personal conduct not on the routine right to privacy but based on his right to life under the European Convention of Human Rights that if the claims were made public he would kill himself as a legal bid unprecedented and ultimately unsuccessful. It was a bold move. He said it was the job of the judge here to protect his life. The judge said, yes, the state must protect your life, but it's not our responsibility as a court, it's the job of the doctors. For more than three years, ITV News and The Guardian investigated serious allegations of misconduct. On the day the findings were put to Walliams, he attempted suicide and was admitted to a private psychiatric hospital. ITV News and The Guardian extended their deadline for his response several times, but in July, Walliams' lawyers said their client had left hospital and again tried to take his own life. Later, he formally denied the claims against him. And in October, at the High Court, his lawyers argued for a lifelong ban on reporting the allegations. Mr Justice Nicklin did not rule on the truth of the allegations, but said an injunction would be an exceptionally serious restriction upon freedom of expression. If the media, on every major investigation it was to do, was to think, well, what will the consequences be for the person we're investigating here? What will happen? We'd never do anything. That is not our responsibility. The responsibility for that lies with the person themselves. Our responsibility is revealing wrongdoing where it's taking place. In the Commons today, the government said it was worried about the use of injunctions. This government is determined to do all we can to ensure that anyone who is a perpetrator of these kinds is held to the full force of the law. Walliams is currently being cared for in a psychiatric hospital. Independent medical experts were consulted by the High Court and the media organisations before the allegations were made public. All expressions of suicidal intent must be taken seriously and people must be given the right level of support. But what we do know is that suicide prevention and accountability are not mutually exclusive. We need to make sure that matters of legitimate interest are properly reported. In this complex case, the rights of alleged victims to tell their stories have been balanced against the threat of self-harm by their alleged abuser. No one denies there might be very real pain on all sides. John Ray, ITV News. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in tonight's report, there's advice on our website. Visit itv.com slash helplines. And if you would like to contact our team about this story, please do email investigations at itv.com.