Walliams & Friend

HOME

TheInfoList

Click Here for Items Related To - Walliams & Friend

OR:

Walliams & Friend on: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Amazon]

David Edward Williams (born 20 August 1971), known professionally as David Walliams, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with

Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain'' (2003–2006, 2020) and '' Come Fl ...

on the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

sketch comedy series '' Little Britain'' (2003–2007) and '' Come Fly With Me'' (2010–2011). From 2012 to 2022, Walliams was a judge on the television talent show competition ''

Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloqui ...

'' on

ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...

. He is also a writer of children's books, having sold more than 37 million copies worldwide. Walliams played the role of Greville White in the 2007 television drama film '' Capturing Mary.'' From 2013 to 2014, he wrote and starred in the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

sitcom '' Big School.'' In 2015, he starred as Tommy Beresford in the BBC drama series ''Partners in Crime'', and wrote and starred in his own sketch comedy series ''

Walliams & Friend ''Walliams & Friend'' is a British sketch show, produced by and starring David Walliams, airing on BBC One with a debut pilot special on 24 December 2015. A full-length first series of 6 episodes was commissioned on 20 May 2016, which first aired ...

.'' Walliams has won the award for Best TV Judge for his work on ''Britain's Got Talent'' at the 2015,

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

and

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are vot ...

. In 2022, he was a judge on the tenth season of '' Australia's Got Talent''. Walliams began writing children's novels in 2008 after securing a contract with the publisher

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...

. His books have been translated into 53 languages, and he has been described as "the fastest-growing children's author in the UK", with a literary style compared to that of Roald Dahl.Philip Ardagh
Awful Auntie review – David Walliams's best book yet
''The Guardian'', 25 September 2014. Some of his books have been adapted into television films, which he has also appeared in, including ''Mr Stink'' (2012), ''Gangsta Granny'' (2013) and ''Billionaire Boy'' (2016). Walliams was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to charity and the arts. His charity work includes swimming the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

, Strait of Gibraltar and

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

, raising millions of pounds for the BBC charity

Sport Relief ''Sport Relief'' was a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, established in 2002. It was the idea of Kevin Cahill, CBE, who had joined Comic Relief in 1991 to establish a new department as Director of Educat ...

Early life and education

Walliams was born at St Teresa's Maternity Hospital in Wimbledon, in the

London Borough of Merton The London Borough of Merton () is a borough in Southwest London, England. The borough was formed under the London Government Act 1963 in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton ...

, in 1971. He is the son of Peter Williams (1936–2007), a London Transport engineer, and Kathleen Williams (née Ellis), a laboratory technician who worked at

Sutton Grammar School Sutton Grammar School (formerly Sutton Grammar School for Boys) is a selective state grammar school for boys aged 11-18 with a Mixed-sex education, coeducational sixth form. Located in South London, the school's main site is in Sutton, London, ...

. Walliams grew up in

Banstead Banstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England. It is south of Sutton, south-west of Croydon, south-east of Kingston-upon-Thames, and south of Central London. On the North Downs, it is on three of the four main ...

, Surrey, specifically in the residential area of Nork, with his mother, father and sister Julie. He was educated at Collingwood Boys' School in Wallington, and

Reigate Grammar School Reigate Grammar School is a 2–18 mixed independent day school in Reigate, Surrey, England. It was established in 1675 by Henry Smith. History The school was founded as a free school for poor boys in 1675 by Alderman Henry Smith with Jon Will ...

in Surrey, where he was a contemporary of writer

Robert Shearman Robert Charles Shearman, sometimes credited as Rob Shearman, is an English television, radio, stage play and short story writer. He is known for his World Fantasy Award-winning short stories, as well as his work for ''Doctor Who'', and his asso ...

. From 1989 to 1992, he studied at the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

, where he resided at Manor Hall and graduated with Bachelor of Arts (Drama). During university holidays in 1990, Walliams performed with the National Youth Theatre, where he met future comedy partner and friend

. He changed his stage name to David Walliams when he joined college Equity, as there was already a member named David Williams.

Television career

Walliams performed in the Big Finish Productions '' Doctor Who'' audio play ''

Phantasmagoria Phantasmagoria (, also fantasmagorie, fantasmagoria) was a form of horror theatre that (among other techniques) used one or more magic lanterns to project frightening images, such as skeletons, demons, and ghosts, onto walls, smoke, or sem ...

'', written by

Mark Gatiss Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. His work includes writing for and acting in the television series ''Doctor Who'', ''Sherlock (TV series), Sherlock'', and ''Dracu ...

in 1999. In 2005, Walliams,

Simon Pegg Simon John Pegg (né Beckingham; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. H ...

Lucy Davis Lucy Clare Davis (born 17 February 1973) is an English actress best known for playing Dawn Tinsley in the BBC comedy ''The Office'' (2001–2003). She is also known for her roles as Hilda Spellman in the Netflix series '' The Chilling Adven ...

and

Lauren Laverne Lauren Cecilia Fisher (née Gofton; born 28 April 1978), known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She was the lead singer and additional guitarist in the alternative rock ba ...

starred in the video for

Charlotte Hatherley Charlotte Franklin Hatherley (born 20 June 1979) is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist and soundtrack composer. She initially came to prominence as guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Ash. Since leaving Ash in 2006, sh ...

's single "Bastardo". Later in the year, Walliams presented a documentary on

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

, entitled ''David 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 in Stephen Poliakoff's '' Capturing Mary''. He portrayed comedian

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

in the BBC Four television film ''Rather You Than Me''. In 2010, Walliams appeared with

Paul Rudd Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame i ...

and

Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in ''The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where Ca ...

in the comedy ''

Dinner for Schmucks ''Dinner for Schmucks'' is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Jay Roach and based on Francis Veber's 1998 French film ''Le Dîner de Cons''. Starring Steve Carell and Paul Rudd, with Jemaine Clement, Jeff Dunham, Bruce Greenwood, and Ron ...

''. Walliams played the strange mole-like alien Gibbis in the sixth series of '' Doctor Who'', in the episode "

The God Complex "The God Complex" is the eleventh episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', first broadcast on BBC One on 17 September 2011. It was written by Toby Whithouse and directed by Nick Hurran. In t ...

", broadcast on BBC One in 2011. In April 2012 Walliams appeared in an episode of ITV's '' Perspectives'' programme entitled "David Walliams: The Genius of Dahl". Also in 2012, he narrated ''Are You Having a Laugh? TV and Disability'' on BBC Two, and the ITV2 series ''

Top Dog Model ''Top Dog Model'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British reality dog competition show that aired on ITV2 from 5 September to 10 October 2012. The judging panel consists of head judge Stacey Solomon, Lilah Parsons and Addison Witt. ''Bri ...

''. In 2013, Walliams appeared in two episodes of the comedy series

Blandings Blandings Castle is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the seat of Lord Emsworth (Clarence Threepwood, 9th Earl of Emsworth), home to many of his family and the setting for numerous tal ...

Rupert Baxter Rupert J. Baxter is a fictional character in the Blandings stories by P. G. Wodehouse. Often called the Efficient Baxter, he is Lord Emsworth's secretary, and an expert on many things, including Egyptian scarabs. He invariably wears his rimless s ...

, an efficiency expert hired to serve as

Lord Emsworth Clarence Threepwood, 9th Earl Emsworth, commonly known as Lord Emsworth, is a recurring fictional character in the Blandings Castle series of stories by British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. He is the amiable and somewhat absent-minded head of t ...

's secretary. Also that year, and in 2014, Walliams starred as chemistry teacher Keith Church in the

sitcom '' Big School'', which he created and co-wrote. The series also starred

Catherine Tate Catherine Jane Ford (born 5 December 1969), known professionally as Catherine Tate, is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has won numerous awards for her work on the BBC sketch comedy series '' The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2007) ...

, Frances de la Tour and

Philip Glenister Philip Haywood Glenister (born 10 February 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in the BBC series ''Life on Mars'' (2006–2007) and its sequel '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2010). He also played DCI William ...

. In March 2014 Walliams narrated a short video for the charity, Electrical Safety First, featuring the character Charley from the Charley Says educational films of the 1970s. For Comic Relief 2015, Walliams appeared as

Lou Todd Lou Todd and Andy Pipkin are fictional characters from the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain'', played by David Walliams and Matt Lucas respectively. Andy's catchphrases include, "Yeah I know", "Want that one" and "(I) Don't like it", w ...

and Stephen Hawking in the

Andy Pipkin Lou Todd and Andy Pipkin are fictional characters from the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain'', played by David Walliams and Matt Lucas respectively. Andy's catchphrases include, "Yeah I know", "Want that one" and "(I) Don't like it", ...

role along with

as a nun. In 2015, coinciding with the 125th anniversary of Agatha Christie's birth, Walliams played the role of Tommy Beresford in '' Partners in Crime'', a six-part BBC series. In September 2015, Walliams began filming for his

...
sketch show ''

'', which also starred

Joanna Lumley Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (1992 ...

and

Morgana Robinson Morgana Robinson (born 7 May 1982) is an Australian-born English impressionist, comedian, writer and actress, who is best known for her comedy sketch programme ''The Morgana Show'', ''Morgana Robinson's The Agency'', appearances on ''The TNT Sho ...

and premiered on Christmas Eve in 2015. The show returned for a full series in November 2016. Walliams hosted the final comedy show ''Thrills and Spills'' in December 2016. The final was held in

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

. In December 2016, Walliams presented the '' Royal Variety Performance'' and a Christmas special episode of ''

Blankety Blank ''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which started in 1979 and is still running today, albeit with some sizeable gaps. The original series ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC1, hosted first by Terry Wogan from 1979 un ...

'', both shows for ITV. In 2017, Walliams guest presented five episodes of '' The Nightly Show'' for ITV. In 2017, Walliams, along with

Rochelle Humes Rochelle Eulah Eileen Humes (née Wiseman; born 21 March 1989) is an English singer and television presenter. Humes began her career in British pop groups S Club Juniors and The Saturdays, and has gone on to co-present the ITV entertainment se ...

, were both confirmed as Voice Trumpets, joining the existing cast of

Daniel Rigby Daniel Rigby (born 6 December 1982) is an English actor and comedian. He received a BAFTA TV Award for his leading role as Eric Morecambe in the 2011 television film ''Eric and Ernie''. Early life Rigby was born in Stockport, Greater Mancheste ...

Antonia Thomas Antonia Laura Thomas (born 3 November 1986) is a British actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Alisha Daniels in the E4 comedy-drama series ''Misfits'', Evie in the Channel 4/Netflix comedy series '' Lovesick'' and Dr. Claire ...

, Jim Broadbent,

Fearne Cotton Fearne Wood ( Cotton; born 3 September 1981) is an English broadcaster and author''.'' She began her career in the late 1990s presenting various children's television shows for GMTV, CITV and CBBC. In 2007, she presented '' The Xtra Factor'', a ...

and

Jane Horrocks Barbara Jane Horrocks (born 18 January 1964) is a British actress. She portrayed the roles of Bubble and Katy Grin in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous''. She was nominated for the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for the title role in th ...

In series 2 of the reboot of classic British children's television series ''

Teletubbies ''Teletubbies'' is a British children's television series created by Anne Wood and Andrew Davenport for the BBC. The programme focuses on four differently coloured characters known as the Teletubbies, named after the television screens on t ...

''. In October 2019, Walliams became the new

(NTAs) host for 2020, taking over after

Dermot O'Leary Seán Dermot Fintan O'Leary Jr. (born 24 May 1973) is an English broadcaster who currently works for ITV and BBC Radio 2. His radio career began when he worked as a disc jockey at Essex Radio, but he is best known for being the presenter of ' ...

's ten year presenting stint.

Matt Lucas

Walliams and

first met at the National Youth Theatre. At their first meeting, Lucas did an impression of Jimmy Savile and Walliams an impression of

. They would not meet again for another year. In the late 1990s, playing minor roles in sketches such as ''The Club'', Walliams and Lucas played grotesque caricatures of various rock musicians in the series ''

Rock Profile ''Rock Profile'' is a British television comedy show written by and starring comedy partnership Matt Lucas and David Walliams, both later widely known for the sketch show ''Little Britain''. ''Rock Profile'' first appeared on the channel UK Pl ...

'' and in the

spoof Spoof, spoofs, spoofer, or spoofing may refer to: * Forgery of goods or documents * Semen, in Australian slang * Spoof (game), a guessing game * Spoofing (finance), a disruptive algorithmic-trading tactic designed to manipulate markets __NOTOC__ ...

documentary series ''

Sir Bernard's Stately Homes ''Sir Bernard's Stately Homes'' is a British TV comedy series first shown in 1999 on BBC Two and later repeated on Play UK. Only six ten-minute programmes were produced, all written by and starring Matt Lucas (comedian), Matt Lucas and David W ...

''. They were also stars of the Paramount Comedy Channel show ''Mash and Peas'', and it was in this guise that they appeared in the Fat Les video. Walliams and Lucas also had small roles in ''Plunkett and Maclaine'' as prisoners. The duo appeared together in a music video for the Pet Shop Boys single " I'm with Stupid", in which the two are apparently auditioning their version of the song's video for

Neil Tennant Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for ''Smash Hits'', and ...

and

Chris Lowe Christopher Sean Lowe (born 4 October 1959) is an English musician, singer and songwriter, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Neil Tennant in 1981. Biography Lowe attended Arnold School, an independen ...

, who are tied up and appear to be hostages. The pair are best known for '' Little Britain'', which ran from 2003 to 2009 on the BBC in the UK and from 2008 onwards on HBO in the USA. The programme first aired on

BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, cur ...

before moving to the more mainstream

. Among the characters Walliams played were Emily Howard, a deluded "

transvestite Transvestism is the practice of dressing in a manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. In some cultures, transvestism is practiced for religious, traditional, or ceremonial reasons. The term is considered outdated in Western ...

Ray McCooney This is a list of characters for the British television and radio sketch show '' Little Britain'' (and its American spin-off, ''Little Britain USA''). Overview ;Key : Characters that appear for only one sketch are not listed in the table A ...

, an insane Scottish hotel owner; and

Sebastian Love This is a list of characters for the British television and radio sketch show ''Little Britain'' (and its American spin-off, '' Little Britain USA''). Overview ;Key : Characters that appear for only one sketch are not listed in the table A ...

, an ''aide de camp'' to the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

(portrayed by

Anthony Head Anthony Stewart Head (born 20 February 1954) is an English actor and singer. Primarily a performer in musical theatre, he rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s following his role in the Gold Blend couple television advertisements for Nescafé, w ...

) 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 ''Little Britain USA'' is an American spin-off-continuation of British sketch show, ''Little Britain'', produced by and aired on HBO. As in the British series, Matt Lucas and David Walliams play the majority of the characters: originals such a ...

'', aired in 2008. The characters from ''Little Britain'' played by Walliams and Lucas appeared in a 2010 UK television advertising campaign for the

Nationwide Building Society Nationwide Building Society is a British mutual organisation, mutual financial institution, the seventh largest co-operative banking, cooperative financial institution and the largest building society in the world with over 16 million members. ...

. In January 2005 Walliams and Lucas were named the most powerful people in TV comedy by '' Radio Times''. Their later series was '' Come Fly with Me'', a six-part series airing on BBC One. The first episode was the third most-watched programme of Christmas Day 2010, and the most watched comedy of the year. The duo have not worked or made any public appearances together since early 2011 (although they each make separate cameo appearances in

Michael Winterbottom Michael Winterbottom (born 29 March 1961) is an English film director. He began his career working in British television before moving into features. Three of his films—''Welcome to Sarajevo'', ''Wonderland'' and ''24 Hour Party People''—h ...

's 2013 film ''The Look of Love''). ''Little Britain'' returned to BBC Radio 4 on 31 October 2019, for a one-off special entitled ''Little Brexit''.

''Britain's Got Talent''

From 2012 to 2022, Walliams was a judge on the

talent show ''

'' with

Amanda Holden Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English actress, media personality, and singer. Since 2007, she has been a judge on the television talent show competition ''Britain's Got Talent'' on ITV. She also co-hosts the ''Heart Brea ...

Alesha Dixon Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She gained recognition in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B, garage and hip hop group Mis-Teeq. The group disbanded i ...

and

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...

. In 2015, 2018 and 2019, he was recognised at the

as Best Judge for his involvement in the series. 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".

Writing career

Children's novels

In early 2008 Walliams signed a contract with

to publish two children's books. The debut novel, '' The Boy in the Dress'', illustrated by

Quentin Blake Sir Quentin Saxby Blake, (born 16 December 1932) is an English cartoonist, caricaturist, illustrator and children's writer. He has illustrated over 300 books, including 18 written by Roald Dahl, which are among his most popular works. For his ...

, was released worldwide on 1 November 2008. It explores several of the themes of '' Little Britain'' from Walliams' own life on an emotional level, such as the

camp Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

humour of cross-dressing and

effeminacy Effeminacy is the embodiment of traits and/or expressions in those who are not of the female sex (e.g. boys and men) that are often associated with what is generally perceived to be feminine behaviours, mannerisms, styles, or gender roles, rath ...

. 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 book ''

Bill's New Frock ''Bill's New Frock'' is a fiction book for younger readers, written by Anne Fine and illustrated by Philippe Dupasquier. First published in 1989, and reissued in 2002, it concerns a young boy, Bill Simpson, who wakes up one morning to find he ...

''. This book was adapted into a film for Christmas 2014. In November 2009 came '' Mr Stink'', again illustrated by Quentin Blake, about a 12-year-old girl who meets a

tramp A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round. Etymology Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English ''t ...

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, and was made into a 60-minute film, which premiered on

on 23 December 2012. On 28 October 2010 Walliams published his third book ''

Billionaire Boy ''Billionaire Boy'' is a children's fiction book written by David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross. It was published on 28 October 2010 by ''HarperCollins''. The story follows Joe Spud, who is the richest boy in the country and has everyth ...

'', illustrated by

Tony Ross Anthony Lee Ross (born 10 August 1938) is a British author and illustrator of children's picture books. In Britain, he is best known for writing and illustrating his Little Princess books and for illustrating the Horrid Henry series by France ...

,Sarah Kingsford
Review: Billionaire Boy by David Walliams
Express, 24 October 2010. 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 trained

orangutan Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genu ...

who serves as his butler, but there is just one thing he really needs: a friend. The book included a 'billion pound note' that was used to enter a competition to win a day as a billionaire in London. This was the first of his books to be illustrated by Tony Ross. Walliams' fourth book, ''

Gangsta Granny ''Gangsta Granny'' is a 2011 British children's comedy fiction book, written by David Walliams, illustrated by Tony Ross and published by HarperCollins. A sequel, '' Gangsta Granny Strikes Again'', was released in 2021. Plot Ben, a curious ...

'' was released in October 2011 and again illustrated by

. 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 a

Red House Children's Book Award The Federation of Children's Book Groups Children's Book Award is a set of annual literary prizes for children's books published in the U.K. during the preceding calendar year. It recognises one "Overall" winner and one book in each of three cat ...

and was adapted to be a 70-minute film for

and shown on 26 December 2013. 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 for Sky One. ''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 2015

s.Siobhan Palmer
David Walliams wins prize at Red House Children's Book Awards 2015
The Daily Telegraph, 21 February 2015 Walliams' seventh children's book, ''

Awful Auntie ''Awful Auntie'' is a children's book written by David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross. It is the seventh book by Walliams, a television comedian best known as an actor on the show Little Britain, and as a judge on ''Britain's Got Talent' ...

'', 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 released '' Grandpa's Great Escape''. The story follows a boy called Jack trying to rescue his Grandpa who suffers from Alzheimer's disease from a care home run by an evil matron. The book was adapted for

, with the script written by Walliams and

Kevin Cecil Kevin Robert Cecil (born 1969 in London) is a British screenwriter. Writing alongside Andy Riley (with whom he has been friends since attending Aylesbury Grammar School), he has won two BAFTA awards, the first for writing the Comic Relief one-o ...

, and starring

Tom Courtenay Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Courtenay achieved prominence in the 1960s with a series of acclaimed film roles, including ''The Loneliness of ...

as Grandpa. This book, although set in the 1980s like ''Awful Auntie'' is, sees the return of Raj the newsagent. The same year that ''Grandpa's Great Escape'' was published, Walliams backed children's fairytales app GivingTales in aid of

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

, together with Roger Moore,

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...

Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

, Charlotte Rampling and

Paul McKenna Paul William McKenna (born 8 November 1963) is a British hypnotist, behavioural scientist, television and radio broadcaster and author of self-help books. McKenna has written and produced books and multimedia products, hosted self-improv ...

. ''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. ''The Ice Monster'' was published in November 2018. Walliams' latest children's novel, ''Slime'', was published in April 2020.

Picture books

Short story collections

Illustrated in colour by Tony Ross, Walliams' three ''The 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. In September 2021 it was announced that one of the stories in ''The 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." The story criticised by Ma earlier in the year is "about a Chinese boy called Brian Wong" who is "never, ever wrong". Ma, who also called out the story for its "casual racism", talked in May with representatives of

, who agreed to remove the story in future editions of the book.

Other work

Theatre

On 26 August 2008 Walliams made his stage debut at the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochlai ...

in Dublin opposite Michael Gambon in Harold Pinter's '' No 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 of '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' at the

Noël Coward Theatre The Noël Coward Theatre, formerly known as the Albery Theatre, is a West End theatre in St. Martin's Lane in the City of Westminster, London. It opened on 12 March 1903 as the New Theatre and was built by Sir Charles Wyndham behind Wyndham's ...

opposite

Sheridan Smith Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith OBE (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress, singer and television personality. Smith came to prominence after playing a variety of characters on sitcoms such as ''The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), '' Two Pints ...

as Titania. In July 2014, Walliams appeared on stage with Monty Python during their live show ''

Monty Python Live (Mostly) ''Monty Python Live (Mostly)'' (also billed as ''Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go'') was a variety show by the Monty Python comedy group at The O2 in London in July 2014. Planned as a single performance for 1 July, it was expanded ...

'' held at the O₂ Arena, London. He was the special guest in their "Blackmail" sketch.

Screenwriting

In addition to his writing credits for his sketch shows and adaptions of his novels, he co-wrote an animated film titled ''Shadows'' with filmmaker

Edgar Wright Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is an English filmmaker. He is known for his fast-paced and kinetic, satirical genre films, which feature extensive utilisation of expressive popular music, Steadicam tracking shots, dolly zooms and a ...

for DreamWorks Animation. It was released in 2019. 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.

Charity work

Telethon hosting

Walliams co-hosted a segment of the

telethon in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, co-hosting the 22:00–22:40 slot with

Miranda Hart Miranda Katherine Hart Dyke (born 14 December 1972) is an English actress and writer. Following drama training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Hart began writing material for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and making appearances in va ...

when the show moved over to BBC Two while the

BBC News at Ten ''BBC News at Ten'' formerly known as the ''BBC Ten O'Clock News'' or the ''Ten O'Clock News'' is the flagship evening news programme for the BBC News channel and British television channel BBC One on weekdays and Sundays at 10:00pm. Huw Edwa ...

was aired. Walliams also co-hosted the

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

Sport Relief telethon. This time, he hosted the earlier slot between 19:00–22:00 with

Gary Lineker Gary Winston Lineker (; born 30 November 1960) is an English former professional footballer and current sports broadcaster. He is regarded as having been one of the greatest English strikers. His media career began with the BBC, where he has ...

and later

Davina McCall Davina Lucy Pascale McCall (born 16 October 1967) is an English television presenter. She was the presenter of the reality show '' Big Brother'' during its run on Channel 4 between 2000 and 2010. She also hosted Channel 4's ''Streetmate'' (199 ...

Swimming the English Channel

On 4 July 2006 Walliams swam the

for Sport Relief. It took him 10 hours and 34 minutes to swim the 22-mile (35 km) stretch of sea, equivalent to 700 lengths of an

Olympic-size swimming pool An Olympic-size swimming pool conforms to regulated dimensions that are large enough for international competition. This type of swimming pool is used in the Olympic Games, where the race course is in length, typically referred to as "long cour ...

. 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. He raised over £1 million in donations. Under the supervision of his trainer, he trained for nine months to prepare for the swim. The training had to coincide with Walliams and Lucas's '' Little Britain Live''

tour Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...

, so he daily had to train for several hours before performing on stage in the evening. Walliams first swam from Lee-on-the-Solent near

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

to the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

in around two hours and also completed an eight-hour swim off the coast of

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

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 The Bluetones are an English indie rock band, formed in Hounslow, Greater London, in 1993. The band's members are Mark Morriss on vocals, Adam Devlin on guitar, Mark's brother Scott Morriss on bass guitar, and Eds Chesters on drums. A fifth m ...

' lead singer

Mark Morriss Mark James Morriss (born 18 October 1971) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the frontman for The Bluetones. He is the older brother of bandmate and bass player/illustrator Scott Morriss. He has released four solo albums, worke ...

wrote a song, "Fade In/Fade Out", in honour of Walliams' achievement; it can be found on their self-titled album, released on 9 October 2006.

Swimming the Strait of Gibraltar

On 7 March 2008 Walliams, along with

James Cracknell James Edward Cracknell, (born 5 May 1972) is a British athlete, rowing champion and double Olympic gold medalist. Cracknell was appointed OBE for "services to sport" in the 2005 New Year Honours List. Biography Cracknell began rowing whilst ...

, swam the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

, again for Sport Relief. He successfully completed the swim in just over 4½ hours.

Cycling

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 the

Kirkstone Pass Kirkstone Pass is a mountain pass in the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria. It is at an altitude of . It is the District's highest pass traversed by road, the A592 road between Ambleside in Rothay Valley and Patterdale in Ulls ...

, a thousand-foot climb in the Lake District but was able to complete the ride.

''24 Hour Panel People''

In March 2011 Walliams undertook ''24 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 for

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...

. The recordings were streamed live on the BBC website. He took part in 19 episodes of "classic" TV panel shows.

Swimming the Thames

From 5 to 12 September 2011 Walliams swam the length of the

() 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." The swim resulted in him getting

giardiasis Giardiasis is a parasitic disease caused by ''Giardia duodenalis'' (also known as ''G. lamblia'' and ''G. intestinalis''). Infected individuals who experience symptoms (about 10% have no symptoms) may have diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight los ...

and injuring an intervertebral disc. In late 2013, Walliams had emergency back surgery to alleviate issues caused by the swim.

Personal life

In 2007, Walliams' father, Peter, died of an aggressive form of liver cancer. In 2009, Walliams dated eighteen-year-old model Lauren Budd. Budd claimed Walliams had approached her agent,

Premier Model Management Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

for a date with Budd. In 2009, Walliams began dating Dutch model Lara Stone.It's over: Lara Stone and David Walliams finalise separation
''The Telegraph'' On 20 January 2010, they got engaged after her parents had given their blessing to the relationship. On 16 May 2010, the couple were married at central London's

Claridge's Hotel Claridge's is a 5-star hotel at the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street in Mayfair, London. It has long-standing connections with royalty that have led to it sometimes being referred to as an "annexe to Buckingham Palace". Claridge's Hote ...

. On 6 May 2013, Stone gave birth to the couple's child, Alfred. Walliams and Stone lived in the house with recording studio, formerly owned by

Noel Gallagher Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the chief songwriter, lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis until their split in 2009. After leaving Oasis, he formed ...

, known as Supernova Heights in

Belsize Park Belsize Park is an affluent residential area of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden (the inner north-west of London), England. The residential streets are lined with mews houses and Georgian and Victorian villas. Some nearby localities ar ...

, 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". On 9 September 2015, Walliams filed for divorce from Stone, citing "unreasonable behaviour". The couple were granted a

decree nisi A decree nisi or rule nisi () is a court order that will come into force at a future date unless a particular condition is met. Unless the condition is met, the ruling becomes a decree absolute (rule absolute), and is binding. Typically, the condi ...

the next day; the marriage was formally dissolved six weeks after the date of filing. Walliams hinted at being

pansexual Pansexuality is sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity. Pansexual people may refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determining factors in their ...

in the book ''Inside Little Britain'', but said he did not like to be labelled by that word. In an interview with '' Radio 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." Walliams has been diagnosed with

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

, and he described his 2006 swim of the

as "some sort of redemption".

Controversies

Exposing teenagers' genitals and simulating sex during 'Hide the Sausage'

Walliams performed a 'Hide the Sausage' sketch numerous times during the '' Little Britain Live'' tour in 2006 and subsequent worldwide tours including ''Little Britain in Australia'' in 2007 and at charity events. 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. Recordings of the sketch include footage where Walliams attempts to kiss participants, manhandles them, pulls their trousers and underwear down, and simulates anal sex. Volunteers are seen "grappling to keep their genitals covered." The sketch was criticised by gay rights campaigners and attracted criticism and concern from members of the public.

Teenagers during ''Little Britain Down Under''

Footage from a 2007

...
documentary titled ''Little Britain Down Under'' shows Walliams inviting male teenagers, said to be aged sixteen to eighteen, to play 'Hide the Sausage' on stage. 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." Walliams is seen pulling down the trousers and underwear of young men before he appears to kiss their buttocks and simulate anal sex. The volunteers attempt to keep their clothes on. During the documentary, Walliams reads a letter he claims was written by a victim of sexual abuse who criticises the Des Kaye character. Elsewhere in the documentary, Walliams says, "I love cruelty, it's my favourite thing in the world."

= Exposing Jeremy Edward's genitals and Mark Ronson's buttocks

= In 2006, Walliams performed 'Hide the Sausage' during the ''Little Britain Comic Relief Gala'' at the Hammersmith Apollo. Participants included comedian

David Baddiel David Lionel Baddiel (; born 28 May 1964) is an English comedian, presenter, screenwriter, and author. He is known for his work alongside Rob Newman in ''The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' and his comedy partnership with Frank Skinner. He has als ...

and English actor

Jeremy Edwards Jeremy Edwards (born 17 February 1971) is an English actor, known for his roles as Kurt Benson in ''Hollyoaks'', Danny Shaughnessy in '' Holby City'' and Mike Taylor in ''Millie Inbetween'', as well as being a regular panellist and guest host ...

whose genitals were exposed to more than 3,000 people in the live audience. Walliams also 'dry humped' Edwards and laid on top of him. Walliams said on stage, "That was not meant to happen. You were not supposed to see gonad. Arse crack, yes. Gonad, no.' An image of the incident, that includes Edwards' penis, is available to purchase on Getty Images Chortle reported that. "tellingly, Edwards - who seemed genuinely embarrassed by the incident – did not appear at the final curtain call." On 2 November 2009, Walliams performed the sketch with Mark Ronson at London's

O2 Academy Brixton Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Wes ...

in front of 3,000 people at a charity event for Concert for CARE. Footage from the event shows Ronson trying to stop Walliams from pulling his trousers and underwear down. Ronson's buttocks were exposed. 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." Walliams claimed that he offered to buy Ronson a new suit.

Criticism and violent reaction from theatre goers

discussed the 'Hide the Sausage' sketch in his 2017 autobiography titled ''Little Me'' and claimed that some audience members reacted with violence. 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." Critics of the sketch included human rights campaigner

Peter Tatchell Peter Gary Tatchell (born 25 January 1952) is a British human rights campaigner, originally from Australia, best known for his work with LGBT social movements. Tatchell was selected as the Labour Party's parliamentary candidate for Bermondsey ...

who said it, "crosses a red line into the sexual humiliation of young men. Tatchell added:

Williams 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.

Kim Jong-un Halloween costume

In early November 2017, Walliams caused upset through his dressing as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for Halloween and posting it online. He had shared the photograph on his Twitter 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". 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 in North Korea, human rights record. Walliams responded to the backlash lightly, constructing a SMS spoofing, fake 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 read ''Bad Dad''."

Presidents Club Charitable Trust

In January 2018, Walliams attended a Presidents Club, Presidents 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. 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". This event was later subject to significant controversy, after undercover reporters reported many of the hostesses were subject to groping and sexual harassment from the all-male attendees. Walliams said he attended the event in a "strictly professional capacity" as host, and "left immediately" after his set ended, stating that he was "absolutely appalled" by the reports. 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".

Stereotypes and black face

In June 2020, Netflix, BritBox, Britbox, Now TV (Sky), NOW TV and BBC iPlayer dropped Walliams and Lucas' '' Little Britain'' and '' Come Fly With Me'', over the use of blackface and stereotypes to portray black, disabled, working class, transgender, and gay people. In Little Britain, both Walliams and Lucas use make up to portray different races, with Walliams portraying a black health-spa guest called List of Little Britain characters, Desiree Devere. Variety Magazine attributed the widespread removal of the series on streaming platforms to heightened awareness in the wake of George Floyd, George Floyd's murder and the resulting Black Lives Matter protests. 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.”

Children's books

In July 2020, tweets by author and activist Jack Monroe described Walliams' books as "like Little Britain for kids", with "horrific racism and classism and bodyshaming in a veneer of privileged deniability".; HarperCollins issued a response, stating "David Walliams's books have a diverse readership which is reflected in their content".

Britain's Got Talent remarks

In November 2022, it emerged that Walliams had made sexually explicit and derogatory remarks towards some of the contestants on Britain's Got Talent, during a recording at the London Palladium in January 2020. 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." 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."

Filmography

Television

Film

Awards and honours

Walliams was given a special award in recognition of his sporting efforts for charity.

produced a documentary on the subject, entitled ''Little Britain's Big Swim''. On 6 November 2006, Walliams won the Pride of Britain Awards, Pride of Britain Award for "The Most Influential Public Figure" as he raised more than £1.5 million swimming the channel for the

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'. At the 17th National Television Awards, 2012 National Television Awards, Walliams won the 'Landmark Achievement Award', for his television career and achievements for Sport Relief. In December 2012 he won the Specsavers National Book Awards "Children's Book of the Year" for ''Ratburger''. In December 2013 he won the Specsavers National Book Awards "Children's Book of the Year" for ''Demon Dentist''. In December 2014 he won the Specsavers National Book Awards "Children's Book of the Year" for ''Awful Auntie''. ''Awful Auntie'' also won the 2014 Specsavers National Book Awards "Audiobook of the Year". Walliams has won the award for Best TV Judge at the 2015,

and

. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to charity and the arts. He was invested with the honour by Princess Anne.

Bibliography

Non-fiction

* ''Inside Little Britain'' (with Boyd Hilton and

): London: Ebury Press: 2006: ;Autobiography * ''Camp David'' (2012)

Children's fiction

Novels

The first two novels are illustrated by

, the rest are illustrated by

. * '' The Boy in the Dress'' (2008, ) * '' Mr Stink'' (2009, ) * ''

'' (2010, ) * ''

'' (2011, ) * '' Ratburger'' (2012, ) * ''Demon Dentist'' (2013, ) * ''

'' (2014, ) * '' Grandpa's Great Escape'' (2015, ) * ''The Midnight Gang'' (2016, ) * ''Bad Dad'' (2017, ) * ''The Ice Monster'' (2018, ) * ''Fing'' (2019, ) * ''The Beast of Buckingham Palace'' (2019, ) * ''Slime'' (2020, ) * ''Code Name Bananas'' (2020, )

Short story collections

Illustrated by

. * ''The World's Worst Children'' (2016, ) * ''The World's Worst Children 2'' (2017, ) * ''The World's Worst Children 3'' (2018, ) * ''The World's Worst Teachers'' (2019, ) * ''The World's Worst Parents'' (2020, ) * ''The World's Worst Pets'' (2022, )

Picture books

* ''The Slightly Annoying Elephant'' (2013) * ''The First Hippo on the Moon'' (2014) * ''The Queen's Orang-utan'' (2015, for Comic Relief) * ''The Bear Who Went Boo!'' (2015) * ''There's a Snake in My School!'' (2016) * ''Boogie Bear'' (2018) * ''Geronimo'' (2018)

World Book Day book

* ''Blob'' (2017)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Walliams, David David Walliams, 1971 births Living people 20th-century English comedians 21st-century English comedians 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors 21st-century English novelists Alumni of the University of Bristol English autobiographers English children's writers English Channel swimmers English male comedians English comedy writers English male film actors English radio writers English male soap opera actors English male stage actors English television personalities English television producers English television writers English male voice actors Labour Party (UK) people Little Britain Male long-distance swimmers People educated at Reigate Grammar School People with bipolar disorder National Youth Theatre members People from Banstead British sketch comedians Best Comedy Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners Officers of the Order of the British Empire British male comedy actors British male television writers 21st-century British screenwriters