David Walliams' books remain in Portsmouth and Hampshire libraries despite misconduct allegations
Allegations about the comedian’s conduct were released earlier this week
Libraries run by Portsmouth and Hampshire councils will continue to stock the works of David Walliams’, including his fiction books for children, despite multiple allegations of sexual misconduct with teenagers coming to light earlier this week.
The allegations of sexual assault and grooming of teenage girls were released earlier this week as ITV News and the Guardian published a joint investigation on November 10 that featured interviews with multiple women who gave first-hand accounts of Mr Walliams’ conduct.
Mr Walliams, 55, denied the allegations. He had sought a court injunction to bar ITV News and the Guardian from identifying him in their reporting, with his lawyers claiming that publication of the allegations would lead him to take his own life. However, a judge rejected the injunction.
Mr Walliams first shot to fame as a result of his work as a comedian, including on TV shows like Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, which he created with co-star Matt Lucas. However, Mr Walliams is also a bestselling children’s author, selling more than 50 million copies of his books including Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy.
Mr Walliams was dropped by publisher HarperCollins in 2025 after allegations of inappropriate behaviour, which he denied. In September, HarperCollins also announced it was cutting all ties with the writer, and would no longer represent his back catalogue, meaning his books would not be replaced when they sold out in shops.
However, his children’s novels will still be available to take out from council-run libraries across Portsmouth.
A Portsmouth City Council spokesperson said: "Like all libraries, we follow established professional principles around our stock, which is clear that books should be made available to readers unless the content is illegal.
“As with all stock, individual titles may subsequently be withdrawn through our normal stock-management processes because of condition, currency or declining demand.”
A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: "Public libraries follow established professional and ethical principles when managing their collections. Our stock policy helps guide decisions about which books are made available, with the general principle that titles remain accessible to readers unless their content is unlawful.
"Like all library services, we regularly review and refresh our collections to reflect customer demand and local needs. In this case, demand for David Walliams' books has declined in recent years, as a result, we would expect the number of copies in circulation to reduce naturally over time as worn-out stock is replaced with newer and more popular titles.
“This process will also be influenced by the fact that his books are no longer being published by a mainstream publisher.”