Following allegations of inappropriate behavior, David Walliams, the children’s author and comedian, was cut from the Waterstones Children’s Book Festival lineup.
Comedian David Walliams feared his “very bad taste” WhatsApp messages could emerge just months before he was axed by his publisher.
It has emerged the 54-year-old star made the four-word admission — “it does worry me” — during a cybersecurity event in February, months before he was dropped by his publisher HarperCollins following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards female staff.
It is claimed that Mr. Walliams, a writer of children’s books, harassed the publishing house, and that one woman later received a five-figure settlement after complaining to the paper. The comedian has sincerly refuted any wrongdoing and was unaware of the allegations at the time.
However, a leaked recording now reveals that the Little Britain creator expressed concern that his “poor taste” messages might come out at the small convention in February. Mr. Williams admitted to the Trafford, Manchester audience that he frequently exchanges “very bad taste jokes” with other famous comedians and friends and worries that they might be brought into the public eye.
And now he has suffered blows to his career as, following the axe by HarperCollins, he has been ditched from Waterstones Children’s Book Festival. The writer will not appear at the event in Dundee, Scotland, in February next year.
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According to the Daily Mail, Mr Walliams told the cybersecurity event in February: “Imagine if all my WhatsApp messages came out….there’s bad taste jokes with friends, other comedians. Very bad taste comments and jokes all the time. You may notice the kind of things you share with each other are often in quite poor taste and I can’t imagine it isn’t just me, right?
People “sent you bizarre things,” they say. And I just picture what would happen. You don’t laugh at jokes about people you don’t like? I mean, my mother, I wouldn’t send her some of the things you know some friends do… I’m concerned about it. “
The London-born comedian didn’t specify the specific nature of such messages, despite making references that were in “quite poor taste.”
The TV star has since found success writing for children after making guest appearances on Come Fly With Me and Little Britain alongside Matt Lucas. According to the HarperCollins website, Mr. Walliams’ books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide.
However, the publisher announced last week that they would no longer be publishing any new books from Mr. Walliams, who shares a 12-year-old son with his then-wife Lara Stone. Two years later, he and model Lara divorced.
Source: Mirror
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