David Walliams’ seven close friends at the height of fame - including Russell Brand
David Walliams has not been seen in public for some time, and allegations against him were released by ITV and The Guardian.
David Walliams has enjoyed a successful career in the entertainment industry, much of it surrounded by famous friends. However, the actor and comedian has had to issue a statement after it was revealed that several women have accused him of sexual misconduct and grooming. The 55-year-old has denied the allegations made against him and is not facing criminal charges. Yesterday, he was named as the famous man who lost his bid for an injunction to prevent the publication of allegations, including sexual misconduct, against him. He had missed a Monday deadline to take his case to the Court of Appeal after he brought legal action against Independent Television News (ITN) and Guardian News and Media (GNM), the publisher of The Guardian.
On November 3, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed the bid for an injunction, ruling it would be an "exceptionally serious interference" with freedom of expression. Responding to the claims, Walliams said: "I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account.
"That is something I regret. And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely, and it is something that I never did."
While the actor has not been seen in public or on television screens for some time, there was once a time when he was at the top of his game. Little Britain was a standout success in the 2000s, while Walliams gained more notoriety when he became a judge on Britain's Got Talent.
Additionally, he enjoyed many friendships with fellow British celebrities, including co-workers and other comedians. However, many of those people have remained silent about the allegations made against Walliams.
These are seven famous people who were, at one stage, good friends with David Walliams throughout his long career.
David Walliams unmasked as claims made against TV star
Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas and David Walliams have been long-time collaborators and friends. Lucas appears in Walliams' most recent Instagram post, which was shared back in March of this year. They first met in 1990 at the National Youth Theatre, and by 2000, they launched Little Britain as a radio show before finding mainstream TV success.
Despite their close friendship, they fell out for several years, even taking jabs at each other in their respective autobiographies. However, they reunited amid the death of their mutual friend, Dale Winton. By 2020, Lucas described himself and Walliams as the "best of friends".
Alesha Dixon
Alesha Dixon and David Walliams developed a friendship when they both joined the judging panel of Britain's Got Talent in 2012. However, Walliams' run on the show ended in 2022 after it emerged that he had made derogatory comments about contestants.
In a 2024 interview, Dixon described Walliams as a close friend. She told The Times that Walliams had always been respectful to her. "David is a friend, and I love him dearly," she said in the interview. "I was there for him, am there for him, and he’s a part of my life."
Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell and David Walliams were once seemingly good friends, and they enjoyed witty banter on the Britain's Got Talent judges' panel. But their relationship seems to have turned bitter in recent years, with sources saying that the pair are no longer on speaking terms.
Simon Cowell maintains that he "didn’t really get involved in the decision" about Walliams being booted off the reality competition show. Speaking of the comments that resulted in Walliams exiting the show, Cowell said in an interview with The Sun: "I had not heard them before and, yeah, it was upsetting. But from where I’m sitting, this wasn’t something I believe was constant."
In 2025, while presenting at Advertising Week Europe in London, Walliams took a jab at Cowell, joking about winning Best TV Judge at the National Television Awards for four consecutive years, an award Cowell has never won.
Russell Brand
Convicted rapist Russell Brand had many famous friends over the years. He and David Walliams met while filming the 2002 TV drama Cruise of the Gods.
They had grown distant during Brand's drug use but reconnected after his recovery. Walliams said during an interview on the Russell Brand Show: "I didn’t see you for a while, and then I saw you again at yoga, and you’d cleaned yourself up.
"I was very, very proud of you, and then we became really close friends." From then on, they appeared on TV together a number of times.
Jonathan Ross
David Walliams and Jonathan Ross had a well-documented friendship over the years. Ross has spoken out about his former 'friends' Brand and Walliams, revealing that he was once on friendly terms with both men, but was "genuinely unaware of their conduct".
"I am as horrified by the revelations about David Walliams and the crimes of Russell Brand as the rest of the nation," the statement reads. There was a time in my life when I was on friendly terms with both men, and during that period I was genuinely unaware of their conduct. My thoughts are with the many, many women who have bravely come forward."
Dale Winton
TV presenter and radio DJ Dale Winton was another one of Walliams' close friends over the years. It is understood that they became close in UK showbiz circles.
When Winton passed away in 2018, Walliams paid tribute to his "hilarious" friend with a series of posts on X (then Twitter). "Dale was the best company, always outrageous & hilarious," he said.
"He adored being in show business & loved meeting fans. He devoted his life to making everyone else happy, his friends, the public & his godsons, even though he found it hard to be happy himself."
James Corden
David Walliams and James Corden made many appearances together in the 2000s and 2010s. Walliams had even appeared on James Corden's chat show in the US.
Plus, Corden attended the wedding of Walliams and Lara Stone in 2010. Other stars in attendance included Alan Carr, Barbara Windsor and Denise Van Outen.
