David Walliams named as celebrity who tried to block publication of sexual misconduct allegations – live updates

David Walliams was accused of grooming fans from the age of 15 and harassing women in the workplace for several years, according to the joint Guardian and ITV News investigation.

Walliams told publications he denied the allegations.

The Guardian cited a letter to journalists working on that investigation, in which they say Walliams wrote: “Looking back, I realize that at times I behaved rashly towards other people with whom I had casual sex.”

“I realize that I haven’t always taken people’s feelings into account enough. That’s something I regret. And while an imbalance of power is inevitable when a party is famous, abusing that power is another thing entirely and something I’ve never done.”

He added: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 or 20 years ago are now expressing their hurt or anger towards me.”

One girl told the joint inquest she was 15 when Walliams first contacted her. And that at the age of 17, they had sex.

She is one of several women who have said Walliams abused his power and celebrity status to exploit them for sexual purposes when they were teenagers or young women.

Walliams had asked the High Court to stop ITN and the Guardian from publishing their investigation, saying if the allegations were made public he would commit suicide.

The High Court rejected his application, saying the risks could be mitigated and it was not his responsibility to protect his welfare.