In a Daily Mail interview published on November 15, actor Jeremy Edwards argued that David Walliams sexually humiliated him during a 2006 Comic Relief sketch.
Edwards stated that he was misled about the extent of the stunt performed at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, where his trousers and underwear were pulled down in front of a live audience of 3,500 people, exposing his genitals without consent.
The allegations emerge as Walliams faces broader scrutiny following recent reports from The Guardian and ITV News detailing separate historical misconduct allegations involving teenagers, which he denies.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police announced that officers received several non-recent serious sex offence allegations against Walliams in recent days, while representatives for Comic Relief have been contacted for comment.
The Sketch at Hammersmith Apollo
The incident took place in November 2006 when Edwards stepped in as a last-minute replacement for a live Little Britain sketch alongside Walliams and comedian David Baddiel.
During the performance, Walliams played the character Des Kay, a predatory former children’s entertainer, before lunging at Edwards and pulling down his clothing.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Edwards detailed his lack of agreement to the full exposure, as reported by RTÉ.
"It simply was abuse. I did not agree to it. You just can’t do that to people. Having your trousers pulled down and you’re stood there in your boxer shorts is one thing. Having my penis exposed is something very different,"
The actor added that he was only told his trousers would be pulled down and maintained that he never consented to having his genitals revealed to thousands of spectators.
“What we are talking about here is consent and I didn't consent to it,” actor Jeremy Edwards told the Irish Examiner.
The performance was subsequently included as a highlight on the Comic Relief Does Little Britain Live DVD released in 2007, which remains available for purchase online.
"If I had known I was going to have my genitals exposed in front of all those people then put on a DVD which has sold millions of copies and then for it for now to be on the internet for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t have done it for a million years," Edwards told the Irish Examiner.
Walliams Previously Described the 2006 Incident as an Accident
Walliams previously addressed the 2006 incident in an interview with The Sun in 2011, describing the exposure as an unintended accident.
"I played it with Holby City actor Jeremy Edwards and pulled down his trousers. His pants came down at the same time, which was a mistake,"
“It's a very easy mistake to make. But I did expose him to thousands of people at London's Hammersmith Apollo. I did feel bad about it afterwards. But not that bad,” Walliams said at the time, adding that while it was an easy mistake to make, he did feel bad about exposing Edwards to the crowd.
Edwards rejected that characterization, stating that he felt duped and noting that he later observed Walliams performing similar unconsented physical gags with other individuals.
The renewed scrutiny follows an investigation published on Tuesday by The Guardian and ITV News naming Walliams in connection with historical sexual misconduct allegations, including claims from a woman who described an encounter when she was 15 as sexual assault alongside grooming accusations.
Walliams denies all allegations of wrongdoing.
| Event / Release | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Comic Relief Live Show | 2006 | Sketch performed at the Hammersmith Apollo in front of 3,500 attendees. |
| DVD Release | 2007 | Performance featured on the official live DVD. |
| Prior Comments | 2011 | Walliams characterised the wardrobe exposure as a mistake to The Sun. |
| Current Allegations | 2026 | Metropolitan Police receive non-recent serious sex offence allegations. |
On Friday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that investigators received several non-recent serious sex offence allegations regarding Walliams in recent days, while inquiries across media and charitable organisations continue.
Earlier coverage: Jeremy Edwards Speaks Out on David Walliams Comic Relief Sketch
