David Walliams accused of sexual misconduct in Guardian and ITN investigation

Syco Entertainment, the company that created Britain’s Got Talent, said it had had “no knowledge of the allegations described and was not made aware of them at the time”.

The show’s production company, Fremantle UK, said “no complaint has ever been made” against Walliams and encouraged anyone who “feels they have been the subject of any impropriety or wrongdoing by anyone… to come forward”.

Women who worked for publisher HarperCollins also allege Walliams behaved inappropriately towards younger female employees.

One intern at the company told colleagues she had had a consensual sexual relationship with Walliams, but felt it was an “abuse of power”.

After conducting an internal investigation, HarperCollins announced it was dropping Walliams as an author. Earlier this year, it also said it would no longer be publishing his back catalogue.

In a statement responding to ITV News and the Guardian’s investigation, the company said it takes employee wellbeing “extremely seriously”.

Walliams denies that he sexually harassed anyone at HarperCollins or behaved inappropriately in the workplace.

Walliams, 55, previously brought legal action against Independent Television News (ITN), which makes ITV News, and Guardian News and Media (GNM), publisher of the Guardian, to try and prevent the claims being published.

The two news organisations had argued that they believed it was in the public interest to publish the allegations.

Walliams denied the claims and his lawyers said any publication would be “highly likely” to lead him to kill himself, after two previous suicide attempts, and that the court should prevent any publication or broadcast.

Last week, a High Court judge rejected the injunction request and Walliams did not lodge an appeal, clearing the way for him to be named.