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David Walliams | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).JPG) Walliams at the premiere forPudsey the Dog: The Movie in 2014 | |
| Born | David Edward Williams (1971-08-20)20 August 1971 (age 54) London, England |
| Alma mater | University of Bristol |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Notable work | Seefilmography andbibliography |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | worldofdavidwalliams |
| Signature | |
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David Edward Williams[1] (born 20 August 1971), known professionally asDavid Walliams (/ˈwæljəmz/), is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work withMatt Lucas on theBBCsketch comedy seriesLittle Britain (2003–2006) andCome Fly With Me (2010–2011). He is also a writer of children's books, having sold more than 50 million copies worldwide.[2][3] From 2012 to 2022, Walliams was a judge on the television talent show competitionBritain's Got Talent.
Walliams wrote and starred in the BBC sitcomBig School (2013–2014). In 2015, he starred asTommy Beresford in the BBC drama seriesPartners in Crime, and wrote and starred in the sketch comedy seriesWalliams & Friend. For his work onBritain's Got Talent, Williams won the award for Best TV Judge at the2015,2018,2019 and2020National Television Awards.[4] In 2022, he was a judge on thetenth season ofAustralia's Got Talent.
Walliams began writing children's novels in 2008 after securing a contract with the publisherHarperCollins. His books have been translated into 53 languages,[5] and he has been described as "the fastest-growing children's author in the UK", with a literary style compared to that ofRoald Dahl.[6][7][8] Some of his books have been adapted into television films, which he has also appeared in, includingMr Stink (2012),Gangsta Granny (2013) andBillionaire Boy (2016).[9]
Walliams was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2017 Birthday Honours for services to charity and the arts. His charity work includes swimming theEnglish Channel,Strait of Gibraltar andRiver Thames, raising millions of pounds for the BBC charitySport Relief.
Walliams was born at St Teresa's Maternity Hospital inWimbledon, in theLondon Borough of Merton, in 1971. He is the son of Peter Williams (1936–2007), aLondon Transport engineer, and Kathleen Williams (née Ellis), a laboratory technician who worked atSutton Grammar School. Walliams grew up inBanstead,Surrey, specifically in the residential area ofNork, with his mother, father and sister Julie. He was educated at Collingwood Boys' School inWallington, andReigate Grammar School in Surrey, where he was a contemporary of writerRobert Shearman.[10] From 1989 to 1992, he studied at theUniversity of Bristol, where he resided atManor Hall and graduated with Bachelor of Arts (Drama).[11] During university holidays in 1990, Walliams performed with theNational Youth Theatre, where he met future comedy partner and friendMatt Lucas. He changed his stage name to David Walliams when he joined collegeEquity, as there was already a member named David Williams.[12]
Walliams performed in theBig Finish ProductionsDoctor Who audio playPhantasmagoria, written byMark Gatiss in 1999. In 2005, Walliams,Simon Pegg,Lucy Davis andLauren Laverne starred in the video forCharlotte Hatherley's single "Bastardo". Later in the year, Walliams presented a documentary onJames Bond, entitledDavid Walliams: My Life with James Bond. In 2007, he returned to non-comedy television, garnering positive reviews for his portrayal of a suave and dangerous manipulator inStephen Poliakoff'sCapturing Mary.[13]
He portrayed comedianFrankie Howerd in theBBC Four television filmRather You Than Me. In 2010, Walliams appeared withPaul Rudd andSteve Carell in the comedyDinner for Schmucks. Walliams played the strange mole-like alien Gibbis in the sixth series ofDoctor Who, in the episode "The God Complex", broadcast on BBC One in 2011. In April 2012 Walliams appeared in an episode of ITV'sPerspectives programme entitled "David Walliams: The Genius of Dahl".[14] Also in 2012, he narratedAre You Having a Laugh? TV and Disability onBBC Two,[15] and theITV2 seriesTop Dog Model.
In 2013, Walliams appeared in two episodes of the comedy seriesBlandings asRupert Baxter, an efficiency expert hired to serve asLord Emsworth's secretary. Also that year, and in 2014, Walliams starred as chemistry teacher Keith Church in theBBC One sitcomBig School, which he created and co-wrote. The series also starredCatherine Tate,Frances de la Tour andPhilip Glenister. In March 2014 Walliams narrated a short video for the charity,Electrical Safety First, featuring the character Charley from theCharley Says educational films of the 1970s.[16]
ForComic Relief'sRed Nose Day 2015, Walliams appeared asLou Todd andStephen Hawking in theAndy Pipkin role along withCatherine Tate as a nun.[17] In 2015, coinciding with the 125th anniversary ofAgatha Christie's birth, Walliams played the role ofTommy Beresford inPartners in Crime, a six-part BBC series.[18] In September 2015, Walliams began filming for hisBBC sketch showWalliams & Friend, which also starredJoanna Lumley andMorgana Robinson[19] and premiered on Christmas Eve in 2015. The show returned for a full series in November 2016.[citation needed]
Walliams hosted the final comedy showThrills and Spills in December 2016. The final was held inLouisville, Kentucky. In December 2016, Walliams presented theRoyal Variety Performance and a Christmas special episode ofBlankety Blank, both shows for ITV. In 2017, Walliams guest presented five episodes ofThe Nightly Show for ITV.
In 2017, Walliams, along withRochelle Humes, were both confirmed as Voice Trumpets, joining the existing cast ofDaniel Rigby,Antonia Thomas,Jim Broadbent,Fearne Cotton andJane Horrocks In series 2 of the reboot of classic British children's television seriesTeletubbies.
In October 2019, Walliams became the newNational Television Awards (NTAs) host for 2020, taking over afterDermot O'Leary's ten-year presenting stint.[20]
Walliams andMatt Lucas first met at theNational Youth Theatre. At their first meeting, Lucas did an impression ofJimmy Savile and Walliams an impression ofFrankie Howerd. They would not meet again for another year.[21] In the late 1990s, playing minor roles in sketches such asThe Club, Walliams and Lucas played grotesque caricatures of various rock musicians in the seriesRock Profile and in thespoof documentary seriesSir Bernard's Stately Homes. They were also stars of the Paramount Comedy Channel showMash and Peas, and it was in this guise that they appeared in the Fat Les video. Walliams and Lucas also had small roles inPlunkett and Maclaine as prisoners.
The duo appeared together in a music video for thePet Shop Boys single "I'm with Stupid", in which the two are apparently auditioning their version of the song's video forNeil Tennant andChris Lowe, who are tied up and appear to be hostages.
The pair are best known forLittle Britain, which ran from 2003 to 2009 on the BBC in the UK and from 2008 onwards onHBO in the US. The programme first aired onBBC Three before moving to the more mainstreamBBC One. Among the characters Walliams played wereEmily Howard, a deluded "transvestite";Ray McCooney, an insane Scottish hotel owner; andSebastian Love, anaide de camp to thePrime Minister (portrayed byAnthony Head) on whom Love has a huge crush. A successful live stage show of the series,Little Britain Live, was produced in 2006. A number of seasonal and charity specials followed, up to 2009. A spin-off series produced in the United States by HBO,Little Britain USA, aired in 2008. The characters fromLittle Britain played by Walliams and Lucas appeared in a 2010 UK television advertising campaign for theNationwide Building Society. In January 2005 Walliams and Lucas were named themost powerful people in TV comedy byRadio Times.[22]
Their later series wasCome Fly with Me, a six-part series airing on BBC One.[23] The first episode was the third most-watched programme of Christmas Day 2010, and the most watched comedy of the year.[24] The duo have not worked or made any public appearances together since early 2011 (although they each make separate cameo appearances inMichael Winterbottom's 2013 filmThe Look of Love).
Little Britain returned to BBC Radio 4 on 31 October 2019, for a one-off special entitledLittle Brexit.[25]
From 2012 to 2022, Walliams was a judge on theITV1 talent showBritain's Got Talent withAmanda Holden,Alesha Dixon andSimon Cowell. In 2015, 2018 and 2019, he was recognised at theNational Television Awards as Best Judge[26] for his involvement in the series.
In 2022, it was announced that Walliams would be joiningSeven Network'sAustralia's Got Talent as a judge for the show'stenth season alongside fellowBritain's Got Talent judgeAlesha Dixon, and Australian actorsKate Ritchie andShane Jacobson.[27][28][29]
In November 2022, after controversy erupted regarding leaked disparaging comments made by Walliams to contestants, it was reported that Walliams had decided "to bow out after a ten-year run", and that he wished to leave the show "on a high after a wonderful time".[30][31][32] He was replaced byStrictly Come Dancing judgeBruno Tonioli.[33][34]
In early 2008 Walliams signed a contract withHarperCollins to publish two children's books.[35] The debut novel,The Boy in the Dress, illustrated byQuentin Blake, was released worldwide on 1 November 2008. It explores several of the themes ofLittle Britain from Walliams' own life on an emotional level, such as thecamp humour ofcross-dressing andeffeminacy.[12] The story recounts a neglected 12-year-old boy called Dennis' search for a female role model, his friendship with the popular girl in school, and the ways in which relationships develop along gender lines. The story has a strong resonance with Anne Fine's 1989 bookBill's New Frock. This book was adapted into a film for Christmas 2014.[36]
In November 2009 cameMr Stink, again illustrated by Quentin Blake, about a 12-year-old girl who meets atramp and helps look after him. She keeps him hidden from her family. The book consists of 26 illustrated chapters full of jokes. It is aimed at teenagers and children over 9. It was the last of Walliams books to be illustrated by Quentin Blake. The book was awarded the Children's Award in the inaugural People's Book Prize in 2010,[37] and was made into a 60-minute film, which premiered onBBC One on 23 December 2012.
On 28 October 2010 Walliams published his third bookBillionaire Boy, illustrated byTony Ross,[38][39] telling the story of Joe Spud, the richest 12-year-old in the country. Joe's father is a famous inventor, and his wealth means that Joe has everything he could ever want: his own bowling alley, cinema and a trainedorangutan who serves as his butler, but there is just one thing he really needs: a friend.[38] The book included a 'billion pound note' that was used to enter a competition to win a day as a billionaire in London.[citation needed] This was the first of his books to be illustrated by Tony Ross.
Walliams' fourth book,Gangsta Granny was released in October 2011 and again illustrated byTony Ross. It tells the story of Ben who is bored every time he is made to stay at his grandma's house as all she wants to do is to play board games and eat cabbage soup. Ben learns that she was once an international jewel thief and all her life she has wanted to steal the crown jewels. Ben is determined that they do it together. It won aRed House Children's Book Award[40] and was adapted to be a70-minute film forBBC One and shown on 26 December 2013.[41]
In September 2012 Walliams released his fifth children's book,Ratburger, telling the story of a young girl named Zoe whose life is a misery as she has an evil stepmother. It was made into a one-off drama forSky One.[42]
Ratburger was followed in September 2013 by Walliams' sixth book,Demon Dentist, relating the tale of a young boy named Alfie with no family except his dad whose world goes upside-down when a new dentist arrives in town. The book won the top prize in the Younger Readers category at the 2015Red House Children's Book Awards.[40]
Walliams' seventh children's book,Awful Auntie,[43] was released on 25 September 2014. This was the story of a girl named Stella whose Auntie has moved into her house with her owl, Wagner. It is the first (and currently only) of Walliams' books to not include Raj the newsagent, due to the book being set in the 1930s before Raj was born.
In September 2015 he releasedGrandpa's Great Escape. The story follows a boy called Jack trying to rescue his Grandpa who suffers fromAlzheimer's disease from a care home run by an evil matron. The book was adapted forBBC One, with the script written by Walliams andKevin Cecil, and starringTom Courtenay as Grandpa. This book, although set in the 1980s likeAwful Auntie is, sees the return of Raj the newsagent. The same year thatGrandpa's Great Escape was published, Walliams backed children's fairytales app GivingTales in aid ofUNICEF, together withRoger Moore,Stephen Fry,Ewan McGregor,Joan Collins,Joanna Lumley,Michael Caine,Charlotte Rampling andPaul McKenna.[44]
The Midnight Gang was published in November 2016.Bad Dad was published in November 2017. Walliams sold £16.57 million worth of books in 2017.[45]The Ice Monster was published in November 2018.[46] In 2020, the book Code Name Bananas, which was set inWorld War II-era Britain was published, and was being announced on Walliams' Instagram.[47][48] Walliams' next children's novel,Spaceboy, was published in September 2022.[49] On 5 April 2023, the children's novelRobodog was published. The story is about Robodog, the newest recruit at the police dog school, as he sets out to save his city from some evil criminals trying to destroy it.[50][51]
| No. | Title | Release date | Illustrator | Pages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Slightly Annoying Elephant | 7 November 2013 | Tony Ross | 32 | |
| 2 | The First Hippo on the Moon | 20 October 2014 | |||
| 3 | The Queen's Orang-utan | 26 February 2015 | |||
| 4 | The Bear Who Went Boo! | 5 November 2015 | |||
| 5 | There's a Snake in My School! | 19 September 2016 | |||
| 6 | Boogie Bear | 26 July 2018 | 40 | ||
| 7 | Geronimo | 15 November 2018 | 32 | ||
| 8 | The Creature Choir | 12 December 2019 | |||
| 9 | Little Monsters | 15 October 2020 | Adam Stower | ||
| 10 | Marmalade: The Orange Panda | 17 February 2022 | |||
| 11 | Grannysaurus[52] | 08 Dec 2022 | |||
| 11 | Little Monsters Rule![53] | 26 Oct 2023 |
Illustrated in colour by Tony Ross, Walliams' threeThe World's Worst Children short story collections, centered around 'five beastly boys and five gruesome girls', were published in May 2016, May 2017 and May 2018, respectively.
The World's Worst Teachers was published on 27 June.[54][55]
In July 2020, tweets by author and activistJack Monroe described Walliams' books as "like Little Britain for kids", with "horrific racism andclassism andbodyshaming in a veneer of privileged deniability".[56] HarperCollins issued a response, stating "David Walliams's books have a diverse readership which is reflected in their content".[56] Also in July 2020, Williams' next book,The World's Worst Parents was published, and the book followed the same structure as all of the previous short story collection books.[57][58][59]
In September 2021 it was announced that one of the stories inThe World's Worst Children would be removed after podcaster Georgie Ma made a complaint, saying Walliams' book was "normalising jokes on minorities from a young age."[60] The story criticised by Ma earlier in the year is "about a Chinese boy called Brian Wong" who is "never, ever wrong".[61] Ma, who also called out the story for its "casual racism", talked in May with representatives ofHarperCollins, who agreed to remove the story in future editions of the book.[61] The book was later republished in 2022, with a new story about Charlie the Chucker, who "delights in pelting people with snowballs".[62]
On 28 April 2022, Walliams' next book in the short story collections, this time titledThe World's Worst Pets was published. However, this book was illustrated by Adam Stower, Walliams' new illustrator, whereas all the other books in the series were illustrated byTony Ross.[63][64][65] The next and latest book of the series,The World's Worst Monsters was published on 6 July 2023.[66][67]
On 26 August 2008 Walliams made his stage debut at theGate Theatre in Dublin oppositeMichael Gambon inHarold Pinter'sNo Man's Land, in front of an audience that included Pinter himself. The production transferred to London later in the year.
In 2013, he played the part of Bottom in a production ofA Midsummer Night's Dream at theNoël Coward Theatre oppositeSheridan Smith as Titania.
In July 2014, Walliams appeared on stage withMonty Python during their live showMonty Python Live (Mostly) held atthe O2 Arena, London. He was the special guest in their "Blackmail" sketch.[68]
In addition to his writing credits for his sketch shows and adaptions of his novels, he was set to co-write an animated film titledShadows with filmmakerEdgar Wright forDreamWorks Animation. It was never made however, due to the staff changes at DreamWorks animation which left the film in limbo.[69]
In 2018, Walliams also starred in the British Airways Safety video, which was conducted in conjunction with Comic Relief for the airlines in house charity. Walliams most notable occasion in the video is the lifejacket instruction. Since then the video has been reworked with a mixture of the previous version; however, Walliams still appears in the new version.
Walliams hosted a classical music podcast for children calledDavid Walliams' Marvellous Musical Podcast.[70] The show was produced byClassic FM and won a gold prize at the 2020British Podcast Awards.[71]
Walliams co-hosted a segment of theSport Relief telethon in2012, co-hosting the 22:00–22:40 slot withMiranda Hart when the show moved over toBBC Two while theBBC News at Ten was aired.
Walliams also co-hosted the2014 Sport Relief telethon. This time, he hosted the earlier slot between 19:00–22:00 withGary Lineker and laterDavina McCall.
On 4 July 2006 Walliams swam theEnglish Channel for Sport Relief.[72][73] It took him 10 hours and 34 minutes to swim the 22-mile (35 km) stretch of sea, equivalent to 700 lengths of anOlympic-size swimming pool. This was wrongly reported as one of the top 50 recorded times for an unaided Channel crossing; in reality Walliams placed 167th at the time of crossing in only the CSA listings, excluding the CSPF listings.[74] He raised over £1 million in donations. Under the supervision of his trainer, he trained for nine months to prepare for the swim.[75] The training had to coincide with Walliams and Lucas'sLittle Britain Livetour, so he daily had to train for several hours before performing on stage in the evening.
Walliams first swam fromLee-on-the-Solent nearPortsmouth to theIsle of Wight in around two hours and also completed an eight-hour swim off the coast ofCroatia before embarking on the cross-Channel attempt. Walliams has insisted that prior to his challenge he had never seriously taken part in any sport.The Bluetones' lead singerMark Morriss wrote a song, "Fade In/Fade Out", in honour of Walliams' achievement; it can be found on theirself-titled album, released on 9 October 2006.[76]
On 7 March 2008 Walliams, along withJames Cracknell, swam the 12-mile (19 km)Strait of Gibraltar from Spain toMorocco, again for Sport Relief. He successfully completed the swim in just over 4½ hours.[77]
In March 2010 Walliams and a group of celebrities cycled an end-to-end journey through the UK, raising over £1 million for Sport Relief. Walliams suffered a serious fall when tackling theKirkstone Pass, a thousand-foot climb in theLake District but was able to complete the ride.[78]
In March 2011 Walliams undertook24 Hour Panel People, in which he took part in back-to-back recordings of various panel show formats over the course of 24 hours to raise money forComic Relief. The recordings were streamed live on the BBC website. He took part in 19 episodes of "classic" TV panel shows.
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From 5 to 12 September 2011 Walliams swam theRiver Thames fromLechlade toWestminster Bridge (140 miles [230 km]) and raised more than £2 million for Sport Relief. Once he had got out of the river Walliams said "I think a bath is the only water I will be seeing for a while."[79][80] The swim resulted in him gettinggiardiasis and injuring anintervertebral disc.[81] In late 2013, Walliams had emergency back surgery to alleviate issues caused by the swim.[82]
In 2007, Walliams' father, Peter, died of an aggressive form ofliver cancer.[83]
In 2009, Walliams dated eighteen-year-old model Lauren Budd.[84] Budd claimed Walliams had approached her agent,Premier Model Management for a date with Budd.[84][85]
In 2009, Walliams began dating Dutch modelLara Stone.[86] On 20 January 2010, they got engaged after her parents had given their blessing to the relationship.[87] On 16 May 2010, the couple were married atcentral London'sClaridge's Hotel.[88][89][86] On 6 May 2013, Stone gave birth to the couple's child, Alfred.[90]
Walliams and Stone lived in a house with a recording studio, formerly owned byNoel Gallagher, known asSupernova Heights inBelsize Park, North London. It was reported on 4 March 2015 that, following five years of marriage, the pair had decided to try a trial separation after "drifting apart".[91] On 9 September 2015, Walliams filed for divorce from Stone, citing "unreasonable behaviour". The couple were granted adecree nisi the next day; the marriage was formally dissolved six weeks after the date of filing.[92]
Walliams hinted at beingpansexual in the bookInside Little Britain, but said he did not like to be labelled by that word. In an interview withRadio Times in 2013, he stated: "I think it's all about falling in love with the person and that is overlooked, really. I hate it when people 'confess' or 'reveal' their sexuality and also things can change for people over the years. So it is about the person but I also think it goes beyond that. You don't just fall in love with someone's body, do you? You fall in love with someone's soul and heart and brain."[93]
Walliams has been diagnosed withbipolar disorder,[94] and he described his 2006 swim of theEnglish Channel as "some sort of redemption".[95]
Walliams performed a 'Hide the Sausage' sketch numerous times during theLittle Britain Live tour in 2006 and subsequent worldwide tours includingLittle Britain in Australia in 2007 and at charity events.[96][97] Walliams portrayed a fictional, gay, former children's entertainer and sex offender named Des Kaye who invites volunteers from the audience or celebrity guests to play the game.[98] Recordings of the sketch include footage where Walliams attempts to kiss participants, manhandles them, pulls their trousers and underwear down, and simulates anal sex.[99] Volunteers are seen "grappling to keep their genitals covered."[99] The sketch was criticised by gay rights campaigners and attracted criticism and concern from members of the public.[99][98]
Footage from a 2007BBC documentary titledLittle Britain Down Under shows Walliams inviting male teenagers, said to be aged sixteen to eighteen, to play 'Hide the Sausage' on stage.[99] Walliams asks the volunteers to confirm their ages and says "Bingo" when one claims they are sixteen years old before adding, "You're a big boy for 16 aren't you - that's what I'll tell the judge."[99]
Walliams is seen pulling down the trousers and underwear of young men before he appears to kiss their buttocks and simulate anal sex.[99] The volunteers attempt to keep their clothes on.[99]
During the documentary, Walliams reads a letter he claims was written by a victim of sexual abuse who criticises the Des Kaye character.[100] Elsewhere in the documentary, Walliams says, "I love cruelty, it's my favourite thing in the world."[100][96]
In 2006, Walliams performed 'Hide the Sausage' during theLittle Britain Comic Relief Gala at theHammersmith Apollo.[98][101][102] Participants included comedianDavid Baddiel and English actorJeremy Edwards whose genitals were exposed to more than 3,000 people in the live audience. Walliams also 'dry humped' Edwards and lay on top of him.[98] Walliams said on stage, "That was not meant to happen. You were not supposed to see gonad. Arse crack, yes. Gonad, no.'[103][98]
Chortle reported that, "tellingly, Edwards – who seemed genuinely embarrassed by the incident – did not appear at the final curtain call."[103]
On 2 November 2009, Walliams performed the sketch withMark Ronson at London'sO2 Academy Brixton in front of 3,000 people at a charity event for Concert for CARE.[104] Footage from the event shows Ronson trying to stop Walliams from pulling his trousers and underwear down.[105] Ronson's buttocks were exposed.[106] After the event, Walliams was reported to have said, "When I put my mind to it, I have the strength of ten men so there's no stopping me. Mark is a cool, calm character. To put him in that position was out of his comfort zone."[107] Walliams claimed that he offered to buy Ronson a new suit.[107]
Matt Lucas discussed the 'Hide the Sausage' sketch in his 2017 autobiography titledLittle Me and claimed that some audience members reacted with violence.[108] Lucas wrote that "during a game of 'Hide the Sausage', he would almost always wrestle the trousers off some poor lad" adding that, "You could never get away with that today. In fact he didn't always get away with it then. Sometimes David would get a clout for his troubles and I'd see him in the wings afterwards, nursing a sore ear."[108]
Critics of the sketch included human rights campaignerPeter Tatchell who said it, "crosses a red line into the sexual humiliation of young men."[98] Tatchell added:
Walliams' portrayal of a predatory paedophile is not funny. It's sickening and unacceptable. That sketch should not be repeated anywhere. It should be withdrawn from public viewing and filed in a film archive so that future historians have evidence of what passed for 'comedy' only 13 years ago. Some viewers will have interpreted Walliams as playing the trope of gay men as predators and paedophiles. Even though Walliams supports the LGBT+ community, his depiction plays into the hands of those who wrongly equate homosexuality with the exploitation of young people.[98]
In 2011Ofcom andChannel 4 received complaints regarding comments made by Walliams onChris Moyles' Quiz Night.[109] In regards toHarry Styles, Walliams said, "I'd like to suck his cock."[110] Styles was 17 years old at the time. Then director ofMediawatch UK, Vivienne Pattison, criticised Channel 4's decision to broadcast the remark adding that "jokes like this set up a context of behaviour that somehow normalises and justifies it."[110]
In early November 2017, Walliams caused upset through his dressing asNorth Korean leaderKim Jong-un forHalloween and posting it online. He had shared the photograph on hisTwitter account, in costume, wearing a black suit, wig, and artificial prosthetics that appeared to alter his eyelids and hairline. There was an immediate backlash online, many Twitter users branding the outfit "racist" and accusing Walliams of "yellow-face".[111] Others made the point that it was insensitive for Walliams to dress as Kim Jong-un given the North Korean leader's 'appalling'human rights record.[112] Walliams responded to the backlash lightly, constructing afake text message from Kim Jong-un which he posted to Twitter, reading: "Hi Dave, Loved the Halloween outfit mate! Wet meself laughing. Don't see what all the fuss is about. Kim x. PS Can't wait to readBad Dad."[113]
In January 2018, Walliams attended aPresidents Club Charitable Trust charity auction as a host, as well as offering the opportunity to name a character in a future book as an auction prize.[114] The 2018 event was his third time hosting, with Walliams additionally offering that he would be "personally presenting the book to your family over afternoon tea".[115] This event was later subject to significant controversy, after undercover reporters stated many of the hostesses were subject to groping and sexual harassment from the all-male attendees.[116] Walliams said he attended the event in a "strictly professional capacity" as host,[117] and "left immediately" after his set ended, stating that he was "absolutely appalled" by the reports.[118] The controversy caused some bookshops to remove his books from sale, with the owner of Chicken and Frog noting "even if he was unaware, when the highly inappropriate suggested names were mentioned for his auction lot, or the plastic surgery to 'add spice to your wife', he should have walked away. He did not".[114]
In June 2020,Netflix,Britbox,NOW TV andBBC iPlayer dropped Walliams and Lucas'Little Britain andCome Fly With Me, over the use ofblackface and stereotypes to portray black, disabled, working class, transgender, and gay people.[119] InLittle Britain, both Walliams and Lucas use make up to portray different races, with Walliams portraying a black health-spa guest calledDesiree Devere.[120]Variety magazine attributed the widespread removal of the series on streaming platforms to heightened awareness in the wake ofGeorge Floyd's murder and the resultingBlack Lives Matter protests.[121] After the removal, Walliams and Lucas released identical apologies on their Twitter: "[We] have both spoken publicly in recent years of our regret that we played characters of other races. Once again we want to make it clear that it was wrong & we are very sorry."[122]
In November 2022, it emerged that Walliams had made sexually explicit and derogatory remarks towards some of the contestants onBritain's Got Talent, during a recording at theLondon Palladium in January 2020.[123] He was recorded as saying of one of them, "She thinks you want to fuck her, but you don't... I know, she's just like: 'Oh, fuck off!' I was saying, she thinks you want to fuck her, but you don't. It's the last thing on your mind, but she's like: 'Yep, I bet you do!' 'No I don't!' I had a bit of a boner, but now it's going, it's now shrivelled up inside my body."[124][125] In a statement later, he said: "I would like to apologise to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for Britain's Got Talent in 2020. These were private conversations and – like most conversations with friends – were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry."[126]
Walliams reportedly performed twoNazi salutes during the recording of the BBC's 2025 Christmas special episode ofWould I Lie To You?, drawing criticism. The BBC said the footage would not be broadcast.[127]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Mash and Peas | Gareth Peas | 9 episodes |
| 1998 | Sir Bernard's Stately Homes | Anthony Rodgers | 6 episodes |
| Barking | Various roles | 6 episodes | |
| 1999 | Bang, Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer | Various roles | 5 episodes |
| 1999–2009 | Rock Profile | Various roles | 30 episodes |
| 2000 | The Strangerers | Rats | 5 episodes |
| 2000–2002 | Attachments | Jake Plaskow | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Fun at the Funeral Parlour | Cobra | 1 episode |
| 2002 | The Bill | Ben Fletcher | 1 episode |
| 2003 | EastEnders | Ray Collins | 2 episodes |
| 2003–2008 | Little Britain | Various roles, writer | 23 episodes |
| 2004 | Hustle | Shop Assistant – Series 1/Ep 4 | 1 episode |
| Agatha Christie's Marple | George Bartlett | 1 episode "The Body in the Library" | |
| 2005–2016 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Himself, 8 episodes | 8 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | Come Fly With Me | Various Characters, writer | 6 episodes |
| 2011 | Doctor Who | Gibbis, episode "The God Complex" | 1 episode |
| 2012–2016 | A League of Their Own | Guest, 8 episodes | 11 episodes |
| 2012–2022 | Britain's Got Talent | Judge | 145 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Big School | Mr. Church | 12 episodes |
| 2013 | Blandings | Rupert Baxter, 2 episodes | 2 episodes |
| Gangsta Granny | Mike | Television film | |
| 2015 | Partners in Crime | Thomas "Tommy" Beresford | 6 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Walliams and Friend | Various characters, creator, writer | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Blankety Blank | Presenter | 1 episode |
| 2017 | The Nightly Show | Guest presenter, 5 episodes | 5 episodes |
| 2017–present | Teletubbies | Voice Trumpet | Voiceover |
| 2018–present | It'll be Alright on the Night | Narrator | 9 episodes |
| 2019 | Britain's Got Talent: The Champions | Judge | 6 episodes |
| Cinderella: After Ever After | Prince Charming | Christmas special | |
| 2020 | The National Television Awards | Presenter | |
| Sandylands | Derek Swallows | 3 episodes | |
| The Jonathan Ross Show | Guest | 1 episode[128] | |
| Jack and the Beanstalk: After Ever After | The Giant | Christmas special | |
| The Gruffalo and Me: The Remarkable Julia Donaldson | Interviewed Guest | One-off special[129] | |
| Chitty Flies Again with David Walliams | Presenter | One-off special | |
| 2021 | Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Himself | Ant & Dec Present Saturday Knight Takeaway[130] |
| The Masked Dancer | Guest Judge | Series 1 – episode 5 | |
| The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan | Guest | Series 2 – episode 4[131] | |
| Hansel and Gretel: After Ever After | Troll | Television film[132] | |
| The Wheel | Participant | Christmas special[133] | |
| 2022 | Comic Relief:Rock Profile | Various music stars | One-off comedy special withMatt Lucas[134] |
| Australia's Got Talent | Judge | [135] | |
| Red Riding Hood: After Ever After | Big Bad Wolf & narrator | Television film[136] | |
| Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! | Mike | Television film[137] |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Plunkett & Macleane | Viscount Bilston |
| 2002 | Cruise of the Gods | Jeff 'Lurky' Monks |
| 2004 | Shaun of the Dead | Voice on TV |
| 2007 | Run Fatboy Run | Customer in Libby's shop |
| Stardust | Sextus | |
| 2008 | The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian | Bulgy Bear (voice) |
| Virgin Territory | Cart pusher | |
| 2010 | Dinner for Schmucks | Müeller |
| Marmaduke | Anton Harrison | |
| 2012 | Great Expectations | Mr. Pumblechook |
| 2013 | Justin and the Knights of Valour | Melquiades and Karolius (voice) |
| 2014 | Pudsey: The Movie | Pudsey (voice) |
| 2019 | Missing Link | Mr. Lemuel Lint (voice) |
| Murder Mystery | Tobias Quince | |
| 2021 | Twist | Losberne |
| Year | Production | Role | Director | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2007 | Little Britain Live | Various characters / wiriter | Jeremy Sams | UK, Ireland and Australian tours |
| 2008 | No Man's Land | Foster | Rupert Goold | Gate Theatre Duke of York's Theatre |
| 2013 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Nick Bottom | Michael Grandage | Noël Coward Theatre |
Walliams was given a special award in recognition of his sporting efforts for charity.Matt Lucas produced a documentary on the subject, entitledLittle Britain's Big Swim. On 6 November 2006, Walliams won thePride of Britain Award for "The Most Influential Public Figure" as he raised more than £1.5 million swimming the channel for theSport Relief charity. Although initially tipped as a contender for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year poll for 2006, Walliams failed to make the final shortlist of 10 contenders. Walliams was given a special award during the ceremony for his achievement. In July 2006, he became Patron of 'Cardiac Risk in the Young'.[138]
At the2012 National Television Awards, Walliams won the 'Landmark Achievement Award', for his television career and achievements for Sport Relief. In December 2012 he won theSpecsavers National Book Awards "Children's Book of the Year" forRatburger.[139] In December 2013 he won the Specsavers National Book Awards "Children's Book of the Year" forDemon Dentist.[140] In December 2014 he won the Specsavers National Book Awards "Children's Book of the Year" forAwful Auntie.[141]Awful Auntie also won the 2014 Specsavers National Book Awards "Audiobook of the Year".[142]
Walliams has won the award for Best TV Judge at the2015,2018 and2019National Television Awards.[4]
He was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2017 Birthday Honours for services to charity and the arts.[1] He was invested with the honour byPrincess Anne.
| No. | Title | Release date | Illustrator | Pages | Film adaptation release date | Ave. UK viewers (million)[143] | Channel | Stage adaptations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Boy in the Dress | 1 November 2008 | Quentin Blake | 233 | 26 December 2014 | 6.31 | BBC One | 2019 musical |
| 2 | Mr Stink | 29 October 2009 | 269 | 23 December 2012 | 7.08 | 2012 musical | ||
| 3 | Billionaire Boy | 28 October 2010 | Tony Ross | 281 | 1 January 2016 | 6.34 | 2018 musical | |
| 4 | Gangsta Granny | 27 October 2011 | 299 | 26 December 2013 | 7.36 | 2015 play | ||
| 5 | Ratburger | 19 September 2012 | 319 | 24 December 2017 | 1.01 | Sky One | TBA | |
| 6 | Demon Dentist | 26 September 2013 | 443 | TBA | TBA | TBA | ✔ | |
| 7 | Awful Auntie | 25 September 2014 | 413 | TBA | TBA | TBA | 2017 play | |
| 8 | Grandpa's Great Escape | 24 September 2015 | 461 | 1 January 2018 | 5.78 | BBC One | TBA | |
| 9 | The Midnight Gang | 3 November 2016 | 478 | 26 December 2018 | — | 2018 play | ||
| 10 | Bad Dad | 2 November 2017 | 424 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 11 | The Ice Monster | 6 November 2018 | 496 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 12 | Fing | 21 February 2019 | 272 | TBC 2025 | TBA | Sky Cinema | TBA | |
| 13 | The Beast of Buckingham Palace | 21 November 2019 | 464 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 14 | Slime | 2 April 2020 | 272 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 15 | Code Name Bananas | 5 November 2020 | 480 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 16 | Megamonster | 24 June 2021 | 384 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 17 | Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! | 16 November 2021 | 368 | 16 December 2022 | TBA | BBC One | TBA | |
| 18 | Spaceboy | 29 September 2022 | Adam Stower | 368 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 19 | Robodog | 5 April 2023 | 320 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 20 | Astrochimp | 23 May 2024 | 224 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| No. | Title | Release date | Illustrator | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The World's Worst Children | 19 May 2016 | Tony Ross | 268 |
| 2 | The World's Worst Children 2 | 25 May 2017 | 286 | |
| 3 | The World's Worst Children 3 | 29 May 2018 | 288 | |
| 4 | The World's Worst Teachers | 27 June 2019 | 312 | |
| 5 | The World's Worst Parents | 2 July 2020 | ||
| 6 | The World's Worst Pets | 28 April 2022 | Adam Stower | |
| 7 | The World's Worst Monsters | 6 July 2023 | 288 |
