Why David Walliams remained unnamed: ITV News explains the legal delay

George Hancorn traces the injunction attempt and missed appeal deadline behind publication of the joint investigation.

Channel:

ITV News Story of November 12, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 133,499 views a day, 16 times a normal first day on this channel (8,154).

Why couldn’t we name David Walliams sooner? #davidwalliams #littlebritain #bgt

He was called "PPT". During court proceedings, David Walliams was identified by those initials and described as a "well-known individual", ITV News reporter George Hancorn explains in a Short about the legal delay behind the broadcaster's investigation.

The report follows publication of ITV News and the Guardian's joint investigation into allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour towards teenage girls and young women. Walliams strongly denies the allegations and any criminal wrongdoing.

Hancorn explains that the allegations were put to Walliams in spring 2026, but an attempt to prevent ITN and the Guardian from publishing took the matter to the High Court. According to the report, Walliams did not submit an appeal before the deadline passed. His anonymity protections then ended, allowing the organisations to publish their findings.

The explainer drew roughly 112,000 views in 16 hours, already far beyond ITV News's usual first-day audience for Shorts. Its focus is the publication process, rather than the women's accounts covered in the documentary, as we reported here.

A separate ITV News report on reactions to the investigation also attracted an unusually large audience. It covers the government's concern about the allegations and the use of injunctions, alongside the BBC's announcement of a review into programmes featuring Walliams.

Hancorn closes the legal explainer with Walliams' denial: he says he has never groomed young women and has not broken the law.