RTÉ is allowing what was roundly slammed as a ‘wholly inappropriate’ clip of David Walliams’ appearance on The Late Late Show to remain on its platforms as the comedian and children’s author faces allegations that he preyed on teenage girls and young women.
Walliams, who shot to fame in comedy series Little Britain, appeared on the Late Late Show in October 2025 alongside host Patrick Kielty to promote his festive children’s book, Santa and Son.
The interview drew widespread criticism online at the time, with viewers describing the segment as awkward, tense and, in places, inappropriate.
During the appearance, Walliams responded to an anecdote from fellow guest Baz Ashmawy about his mother’s dislike of tattoos by joking that his own mother had the letter W tattooed on each buttock, spelling ‘Wow’ when she bent over.
He also ribbed Kielty for never having met Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, telling the presenter that a chat show host should have met every famous person.
When Kielty said Eurovision winner Linda Martin would be head judge of the show’s Pet Hero of the Year award, Walliams made what viewers described as a crass remark.
He also repeatedly cut Kielty off mid-sentence after the presenter mistakenly referred to him as ‘David Williams’.
‘Bit awkward to watch to be honest,’ one viewer posted, while others said they found the comedian rude.
The clip has come under renewed scrutiny after a three-year joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News named Walliams as the previously anonymous celebrity accused of sexual misconduct involving a large number of girls and young women.
Walliams had sought an injunction to prevent the outlets from identifying him, but lost his bid last week and did not lodge an appeal before yesterday’s deadline.
The investigation, titled David Walliams: Power and Silence, includes allegations that he groomed teenage girls. One woman alleges he contacted her via MySpace when she was 15, and has described what allegedly followed as grooming and sexual assault.
Walliams denies all of the allegations, including any criminal conduct. ‘I am not a sexual predator… I have not broken the law,’ he said, adding that he was devastated by the claims.
The latest claims follow his split from HarperCollins UK in December 2025, after The Telegraph reported that the publisher had investigated allegations he harassed junior female staff. He strongly denied those claims and said he had never been informed of them.
HarperCollins has since confirmed it will stop publishing his back catalogue, and last month he was reportedly dropped from an upcoming film.
Walliams left Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 after leaked recordings emerged of him making derogatory comments about contestants.
When asked this week after the allegations against Walliams emerged whether they had plans to remove the segment from the RTE Player a spokeswoman for the national broadcaster told Extra that they were ‘taking a view’ saying: ‘As a matter of course in such circumstances we review interviews. There are no plans to remove the interview from third party platforms at present.’
