Jess Phillips says it is 'hard to believe' no one knew the suspicions about David Walliams' behaviour with young girls - after taking her children to meet the 'legend' during election campaign

Published: 06:15 EST, 11 November 2026 | Updated: 06:41 EST, 11 November 2026 Labour's Jess Phillips today said it was 'dazzlingly hard to believe' no one was aware of David Walliams' alleged behaviour towards teenage girls at the height of his fame – despite taking her own children to meet the 'legend'.The former safeguarding minister lashed out at the entertainment industry after it was alleged teenage girls were sent to Walliams' Britain's Got Talent (BGT) dressing room without a chaperone.She said safeguarding was 'the responsibility of everybody' after the best-selling author and former BGT judge, 55, was named as part of an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News yesterday, after he tried to obtain an injunction to prevent the reporting of allegations against him.Ms Phillips told Radio 4's Today programme: 'I have to say I find it dazzlingly hard to believe that people didn't know about this or didn't see that there were patterns. 'There are also cases that are coming out that worked on various different programmes saying they tried to report, that they were made to sign Non Disclosure Agreements. 'There are no two ways about the fact that this was propped up, whether you are talking about the [Russell] Brand story or the Walliams story, this is the responsibility of everybody.'While campaigning for Labour ahead of the 2019 general election, Ms Phillips posted a picture of her two children meeting Walliams as a 'birthday treat', describing him as a 'legend' who 'spoilt them rotten'. While campaigning for Labour ahead of the 2019 general election, Jess Phillips posted an image of her two children with Walliams The former Labour activist, whose membership was suspended yesterday, posted his own picture from the meeting with Ms Phillips, calling her 'my hero... who should be prime minister'The former Labour activist, whose membership was suspended yesterday, posted his own picture from the meeting with Ms Phillips, calling her 'my hero ... who should be prime minister'. Walliams, who joined BGT as a judge in 2012, left the show in 2022 after he apologised for making 'disrespectful comments' about auditioning contestants during filming breaks in January 2020 at the London Palladium, two months after posing with Ms Phillips. He denies 'buying' a junior BGT employee's silence following allegations from a man, named as Mark, who claimed he received £300 from the star after he walked into his dressing room and found two 'very young people' in there while the TV star was only wearing a towel. A spokesperson for Fremantle UK, which makes BGT, said the company is 'disturbed and concerned' at the 'serious allegations', but added that no complaint was ever made to them about his behaviour.Mr Walliams has not yet responded to Tuesday's reports that have named him as the subject of the allegations. But through lawyers he has vehemently denied all allegations made against him, rejects any allegations of criminal activity and said he has never engaged in the grooming of young women.It follows his unsuccessful attempts to seek an injunction to prevent the publications because of the risk he would take his own life, after two previous suicide attempts.Judge Mr Justice Nicklin refused the bid for an injunction, ruling it would be an 'exceptionally serious interference' with freedom of expression.The Metropolitan Police said it has contacted the Guardian and ITV News 'to ensure that any potential victims' are 'made aware of how they could report any criminal allegations to police', after the sexual misconduct claims were made.Several sources alleged inappropriate behaviour towards women at the prime-time show Britain's Got Talent (BGT), where Walliams served as a judge from 2012 to 2022, and his publisher HarperCollins, which dropped him last year.Walliams had his Labour Party membership suspended and Downing Street described the allegations as 'deeply troubling'.