BBC Removes 'Room On The Broom' Amid Misconduct Allegations

The BBC has removed the 2012 animated adaptation of Julia Donaldson's children's book 'Room On The Broom' from its streaming service, BBC iPlayer. The decision comes after multiple women accused David Walliams, who voiced a frog character in the film, of sexual misconduct and grooming. The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that they have received a number of non-recent serious sex offence allegations against the comedian.

Walliams, a former judge on Britain's Got Talent, has denied any wrongdoing. However, he admitted in a letter to journalists several months ago that he had behaved 'thoughtlessly' at times and regretted not taking people's feelings into account. He insisted he had not broken the law.

Broader Content Review

The removal of 'Room On The Broom' is part of a wider review by the BBC of all material featuring and written by Walliams. A BBC spokesperson stated that the corporation was 'looking carefully at all material' and was 'in the process of removing some programmes'. Both 'Little Britain', the sketch comedy series that launched Walliams to fame, and his later show 'Come Fly With Me' are currently unavailable on iPlayer. A 2020 episode of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' featuring Walliams, along with adaptations of his children's books like 'Gangsta Granny' and 'Billionaire Boy', have also been removed from the service.

Other Broadcasters Act

Other broadcasters have also taken down content featuring Walliams. Channel 4 has removed episodes of '8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown' and the 2021 special 'Chitty Flies Again with Walliams'. Sky has also removed Walliams' work from its platforms and has withdrawn from distributing the upcoming film 'Fing!', based on his children's book. Sky stated that the allegations were 'extremely serious' and they had removed content featuring him. Angel Studios confirmed it would still release 'Fing!' in the US, but Walliams' cameo would be removed, and he would not participate in its promotion.

The allegations against Walliams emerged following his unsuccessful attempts to seek an injunction to prevent media reporting, with his lawyers citing a risk of suicide after two previous attempts. Sources have alleged inappropriate behaviour towards women during his time as a judge on Britain's Got Talent from 2012 to 2022, and at his publisher HarperCollins, which dropped him last year. His literary agency, Independent Talent Group, also dropped him.