Archive: Beastly: The stories of David Walliams
The Slow Newscast
Alice Sandelson
4.6 • 894 Ratings
🗓️ 22 December 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher over alleged ‘inappropriate’ behaviour.
A spokesperson for Walliams said that the author had never been informed of any allegations raised against him nor was he given the opportunity to respond to questions about them. He strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately.
Walliams came to prominence starring alongside Matt Lucas in the TV series Little Britain which ran from 2003 - 2006. Critics though accused the comedy show of trading in stereotypes and casual racism. And some of that is evident in Walliam’s children’s books too.
This episode was first published on 23rd May 2023.
Reporter: Claudia Williams
Producer: Matt Russell
Sound design: Tom Burchell
Editor: Basia Cummings
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Observer. |
| 0:08.8 | Hello, it's Matt, and you're listening to the Slow Newscast from The Observer. |
| 0:13.6 | On Friday, Harper Collins announced it was dropping best-selling children's author David Walliams, |
| 0:19.6 | after allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. A author David Walliams after allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards |
| 0:22.3 | young women. A spokesperson for Walliams said that the author had never been informed of any |
| 0:27.5 | allegations raised against him, nor was he given the opportunity to respond to questions about |
| 0:32.4 | them. He strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately. |
| 0:42.2 | William's came to prominence starring alongside Matt Lucas in the TV series Little Britain, |
| 0:45.1 | which ran from 2003 to 2006. |
| 0:50.6 | Critics, though, accused a comedy show of trading in stereotypes and casual racism. |
| 0:57.0 | And some of that is evident in William's children's books, too. Two years ago, |
| 1:02.3 | the Sloan Newscast reported on some of the concerns raised over these books, reported by myself and Claudia Williams. What follows was first published on the 23rd of May, 23. |
| 1:13.0 | How has it got so bad? |
| 1:15.6 | But removal is an obliteration of the past. |
| 1:19.0 | It's February 2023, and suddenly it feels like everyone is talking about the same thing. |
| 1:26.5 | There's a controversy brewing in the world of publishing. |
| 1:29.5 | From TV to newspapers to social media. |
| 1:32.5 | It is vandalism, it's censorship, and I think it's extremely sinister. |
| 1:37.8 | It's as if this great secret has been unearthed. |
| 1:41.7 | And in a way, it has. |
| 1:43.5 | The arrogance of these censorious thugs knows no bounds. |
| 1:48.6 | Because for years, it seems, someone has been changing things. |
... |
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