Lucy Beaumont reveals she was whistleblower after fearing David Walliams’ alleged victim would ‘take own life’

Résumé détaillé

The comedian said she didn't expect to work in TV again after coming forward.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Comedian Lucy Beaumont has revealed she was among the people who came forward in the investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming against David Walliams.

The 43-year-old TV star said the TV industry needed better procedures for people to raise safeguarding issues and explained that she had been ‘really worried’ that one of his alleged victims was going to ‘take her own life’.

Beaumont said she raised concerns about Walliams after being told he was hosting teenage girls in his dressing room while working on a TV show, making her ‘really worried’ about if he had behaved inappropriately.

The best-selling author and former Britain’s Got Talent judge, 55, was named as part of a three-year investigation by The Guardian and ITV News on Tuesday, after he tried to obtain an injunction to prevent the reporting of allegations against him, which included claims he had abused his celebrity status to exploit teenagers, with some of his accusers as young as 15.

A judge refused the application for a permanent injunction last week, a decision that Walliams did not appeal.

He denies any wrongdoing, saying he ‘behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with’ and adding: ‘I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law.’

Beaumont said she had come forward publicly about her whistleblowing role because she ‘wants to protect young women’ in the TV industry – despite fearing it could cost her her career.

‘I don’t know Walliams, I haven’t worked with him but, bizarrely, it’s been a really strange day for me because, about three years ago, a young person – and it was their first job on TV – worked on a show he was on and the next show that they worked on was with me,’ she told Sky News’ The Cathy Newman Show on Tuesday night.

Début de l'article, extrait de Metro. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.