Met Police open criminal investigation into David Walliams over alleged sexual offences

The Metropolitan Police have opened a criminal investigation into David Walliams, the 55-year-old television personality and children's author, over alleged non-recent serious sexual offences involving a man in his 50s. The force said the allegations it is investigating are separate from those reported in a joint Guardian and ITV News report, which detailed accusations by several women, some of whom say they were as young as 15 when the interactions took place. A High Court judge had rejected Walliams's bid to stop his identity being published, and he denies any wrongdoing. Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney urged anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward, and detectives are also reviewing the earlier reporting for evidence of offences.

The left-leaning Guardian, which co-published the original report, leads with the Met's criminal investigation and the force's statement that the probe is separate from its reporting, and features Cagney's appeal to victims. The alternative Hollywood Reporter and Deadline also report the probe, but The Hollywood Reporter foregrounds Walliams's injunction bid, his lawyers' claim that he has attempted suicide twice and their "trial by media" argument, while Deadline gives a brief account of the police statement. Right-leaning Page Six, citing comments to the Sun, leads with the angle of more alleged victims coming forward, calls his gag-order bid "desperate" and highlights his expressed regret over past casual relationships, a detail absent from the other excerpts. All sources agree on the investigation, the denial and the appeal to victims; they differ mainly in emphasis and framing.