Grinning David Walliams breaks his online silence to pose with a friend after being dropped by book publisher and children’s charity over claims he harassed young women

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David Walliams has publicly wished a friend a happy birthday, marking his first online post since being removed from his publisher due to allegations of improper conduct.

The 54-year-old comedian and children’s book writer went back to Instagram on Thursday, where he has over 2 million followers, to honor his publicist friend, Louisa McCarthy.

Louisa works at ANM PR, a public relations firm that handles communications for high-end brands. They work with everyone from new businesses to large, established international companies in the consumer, lifestyle, and luxury sectors.

David, who hadn’t been active on social media all year, shared a photo on his Instagram story of himself smiling with Louise. They were sitting together at a table, and he captioned the picture ‘Happy Birthday Louisa’.

He recently shared a positive message, which a friend also reposted. This came shortly after he was seen in public in January, just weeks after HarperCollins dropped him as a publisher following accusations of workplace harassment – accusations he firmly denies.

David appeared sad at a children’s event, marking his first public outing since a scandal last month. The event was advertised as being full of playful fun, similar to the style of author David Walliams.

Wearing jeans and a dark jacket, he simply said ‘hello’ to the Daily Mail reporter and didn’t respond to questions about his future TV plans or how he was doing after a difficult few weeks.

Friends told the Daily Mail that ‘it hasn’t exactly been the easiest times for him recently.’

David’s event was a fun and interactive storytelling experience for children and their families. He read stories, encouraged audience participation, and brought his signature playful energy to the show.

People who used to work with David at HarperCollins said they were told to always work with a partner when collaborating with him, and to avoid visiting his house.

A woman who spoke up about the father of one reportedly received a substantial financial settlement and has now left her job.

In December, The Children’s Trust announced that the Little Britain actor was no longer a charity ambassador, a decision made earlier in 2025.

Honestly, it’s just… baffling. The BBC is telling everyone there are absolutely no plans for anything new with David, despite still letting his Christmas special of Would I Lie To You air! It feels like they’re trying to have it both ways, and it’s just… frustrating as a fan. They’re pretending like he’s gone from their plans, but not completely gone, and I don’t understand why!

This episode showed a dramatic turn of events for David, a hugely popular children’s author in Britain. He’s sold over 60 million books, translated into 55 languages, and is well-known as a TV personality.

David Walliams’ first children’s book, The Boy in the Dress, was published by HarperCollins in 2008. Several of his other popular books, like Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy, have also been made into TV movies.

When the news came out last month, people in the entertainment industry – including television – felt a sense of relief. Sources told the Daily Mail that David Walliams was ‘completely disliked’ within those circles.

Someone finally spoke up and admitted what many already knew: he’s simply not a kind person.

Despite many people trying to shield him, David Walliams’s inappropriate behavior was widely known within the entertainment industry. For instance, a former Britain’s Got Talent staff member told the Daily Mail he was extremely rude to her while she worked on the show.

David Walliams abruptly left Britain’s Got Talent in November 2022 following the release of audio recordings where he made unkind comments about people auditioning for the show.

Microphones recorded him making offensive and degrading remarks about women, including a particularly vulgar description of one woman as someone who mistakenly believes you’re attracted to her when you’re not.

Despite issuing a public apology, David Walliams also took legal action against the production company Fremantle, claiming they misused his private information and violated data protection laws. Fremantle apologized, and reports suggest Walliams received around £5 million as a result of the case.

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2026-02-06 21:52