David Walliams Bio, Age, Ex-Wife, Books, Career & Net Worth

Who Is David Walliams? | Biography

David Walliams is a British comedian, actor, television personality, and children’s author known for Little Britain and Gangsta Granny. His biography connects sketch comedy, bestselling fiction, television judging, and charity fundraising. Born David Edward Williams, he adopted Walliams professionally because another performer already used his birth name. He became widely recognized through his partnership with Matt Lucas before developing a separate audience through books and family entertainment.

Walliams was born in London and grew up in Banstead, Surrey, with his parents and sister. He attended Reigate Grammar School before studying drama at the University of Bristol. After graduating in 1992, he pursued television writing and performance. He had met Lucas through the National Youth Theatre. Their collaborations produced Rock Profile, Little Britain, and Come Fly with Me, establishing a distinctive sketch-comedy partnership across several formats.

His first children’s novel, The Boy in the Dress, appeared in 2008. Later titles included Mr Stink, Billionaire Boy, and Gangsta Granny, with several stories adapted for television or the stage. Meanwhile, he joined Britain’s Got Talent in 2012 and remained a judge until 2022. His public activities also included major swimming challenges for Sport Relief. In 2017, he received an OBE for charity and the arts.

As of October 28, 2026, Walliams is 55. Recent developments include the film adaptation Fing! and major changes to his publishing arrangements. HarperCollins stopped commissioning new titles in December 2025, following reported misconduct allegations that he strongly denied. In September 2026, the publisher also dropped his back catalogue. His marriage to Dutch model Lara Stone ended in divorce. They share a son, Alfred, whose life remains largely private.

David Walliams Age | How Old Is David Walliams?

David Walliams is 55 years old as of October 28, 2026. He was born on August 20, 1971, in London. He grew up in Banstead, Surrey. His fifty-fifth birthday occurred in August 2026, and his next birthday falls in 2027.

David Walliams Height | How Tall Is David Walliams?

Walliams’s height is not consistently established by the authoritative sources reviewed. Online measurements vary, so an exact figure is omitted rather than inferred from photographs or television appearances.

David Walliams Ethnicity

Walliams is English and British, but a detailed ethnic breakdown is not reliably established here. His televised family-history research traced relatives in southern England, including a travelling fairground family. That occupational background does not, by itself, establish a particular ethnicity.

David Walliams Education

Walliams graduated from the University of Bristol with a drama degree in 1992. The university identifies him as a BA alumnus in its own reporting. Before Bristol, he attended Collingwood Boys’ School and Reigate Grammar School. He also performed with the National Youth Theatre, where he encountered Matt Lucas. Their later professional partnership developed from that connection.

David Walliams Ex-Wife | Marriage to Lara Stone

David Walliams was married to Lara Stone, the Dutch model. They married at Claridge’s in London in 2010 and welcomed their son during the marriage. Their separation became public in March 2015, and divorce proceedings followed that year. Subsequently, a separate High Court dispute addressed financial arrangements. Lawyers told the court in November 2016 that they had reached an agreement. The judge restricted publication of its terms. Consequently, the settlement does not support a verified estimate of either person’s wealth. No later marriage is publicly confirmed in the reliable reporting reviewed. That limitation should not be turned into an assertion about his present dating life.

David Walliams Children | Son Alfred

Walliams has one publicly documented son, Alfred, with Lara Stone. Alfred was born in May 2013. Both parents have generally protected him from sustained public attention. Walliams has spoken about fatherhood and described his household in a family-history documentary.

David Walliams Family | Parents, Sister, and Upbringing

Walliams’s parents were Peter and Kathleen Williams, and his sister is Julie. His father worked for London Transport, while his mother worked as a laboratory technician. He grew up in Banstead and has frequently appeared publicly with his mother. His father died after an illness in 2007. Later, Who Do You Think You Are? explored both sides of the family. The program examined a maternal fairground connection and a paternal ancestor’s wartime experiences. Those discoveries supplied specific historical context for his upbringing and relatives, without requiring assumptions about inherited personality or artistic talent.

David Walliams Career | Comedy, Television, and Writing

Walliams developed his early career through television writing and ensemble performance. His work included The Ant & Dec Show and the sketch series Barking. With Matt Lucas, he created Rock Profile and then Little Britain, which moved from radio to television. Its television debut in 2003 brought national recognition, touring, and an American adaptation. Come Fly with Me followed in 2010.

Alongside comedy, he acted in projects including Capturing Mary, Big School, and Partners in Crime. His publishing career began with The Boy in the Dress in 2008 and expanded into novels, picture books, and collections. Collaborations with Quentin Blake and Tony Ross gave the books a distinctive illustrated format. Britain’s Got Talent added a long-running judging role from 2012 through 2022. By 2026, adaptations remained active, while HarperCollins’s departure changed the business supporting his books.

David Walliams Books | Selected Titles

Walliams’s children’s books frequently combine exaggerated characters, family relationships, and comic adventures. His early novels used illustrations by Quentin Blake, while Tony Ross illustrated many later titles. Selected books include:

• The Boy in the Dress — 2008.
• Mr Stink — 2009.
• Billionaire Boy — 2010.
• Gangsta Granny — 2011.
• Ratburger — 2012.
• Demon Dentist — 2013.
• Awful Auntie — 2014.
• Grandpa’s Great Escape — 2015.
• The Midnight Gang — 2016.
• Bad Dad — 2017.
• The Ice Monster — 2018.
• Fing — 2019.
• Code Name Bananas — 2020.
• Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! — 2021.

He also published the memoir Camp David in 2012.

David Walliams Little Britain | Partnership With Matt Lucas

Little Britain was Walliams and Lucas’s major breakthrough together. Its recurring characters and catchphrases carried a radio concept into television, live performance, and an American version. Walliams performed multiple roles rather than portraying a single central character. The program also attracted criticism over stereotyping and the use of blackface. In June 2020, he and Lucas apologized for playing characters of other races. Streaming platforms removed the series during that period. Those events form part of the show’s documented reception and should accompany accounts of its commercial success. The apology concerned material they had performed; it was separate from later allegations involving publishing employees.

David Walliams TV Shows | Selected Acting Roles

Walliams’s television work extends beyond Little Britain and talent-show judging. He appeared in dramatic roles, sitcoms, and adaptations of his books. Selected productions include:

• Rock Profile — celebrity parody with Matt Lucas.
• Little Britain — recurring sketch characters.
• Capturing Mary — Greville White in Stephen Poliakoff’s drama.
• Come Fly with Me — airport-based sketch comedy.
• Mr Stink — the Prime Minister in the television adaptation.
• Big School — chemistry teacher Keith Church.
• Partners in Crime — Tommy Beresford in Agatha Christie adaptations.
• Britain’s Got Talent — judging role from 2012 through 2022.

David Walliams Swimming | Sport Relief Fundraising

Walliams completed major swimming challenges for Sport Relief, including the English Channel in 2006 and the Thames in 2011. Comic Relief records his Channel crossing at approximately ten and a half hours. The charity’s historical account states that it raised £1 million. For the Thames challenge, he swam approximately 140 miles over eight days. He also participated in a group cycling challenge covering the length of Britain. These events involved sustained physical preparation and public fundraising. Their totals belong to charitable campaigns, not his personal earnings. His association with Comic Relief additionally included a specially produced children’s book and visits to projects supported by the charity.

David Walliams Awards | OBE and Comedy Recognition

Walliams received an OBE in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to charity and the arts. The government’s announcement confirms the honor and its stated purpose. His entertainment recognition also includes BAFTA-winning work on Little Britain and audience-voted television awards. Additionally, his books have received children’s publishing awards and nominations. The OBE is an honor below a knighthood.

David Walliams Britain’s Got Talent | Departure and Settlement

Walliams left Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 after recordings revealed offensive comments about contestants. The remarks dated from filming breaks in January 2020. He apologized after a transcript became public. Subsequently, he sued producer Fremantle over misuse of private information and data-protection issues. In November 2023, the parties announced an agreed resolution. Fremantle apologized for the publication of his private conversations and the distress it caused. The settlement addressed that dispute, rather than erasing the original remarks. Public speculation about an exact payout should not be treated as an established financial fact without disclosed terms.

David Walliams HarperCollins | Publishing Changes in 2026

HarperCollins announced in December 2025 that it would publish no new Walliams titles. The decision followed reporting about alleged inappropriate behavior toward female employees. Walliams strongly denied behaving inappropriately and said he had not received an opportunity to answer the allegations. The publisher declined to discuss internal matters. In September 2026, The Bookseller reported that HarperCollins had also dropped his back catalogue. Subsequent reporting described a gradual phase-out of print stock and digital editions. This materially extended the earlier decision about new books. These are publishing decisions and reported allegations, not a criminal conviction or a judicial finding establishing the alleged conduct.

David Walliams Fing! | Film Adaptation and Release Status

Fing! adapts Walliams’s children’s novel into a fantasy film directed by Jeffrey Walker. Its cast includes Mia Wasikowska, Blake Harrison, Taika Waititi, and Iona Bell. The British Council records a 2026 Sundance world premiere. The story follows parents trying to satisfy their daughter’s demand for a strange creature. Walliams contributed to the screenplay and served as an executive producer. Distributor Angel acquired American rights and announced a wide US release for early 2027. Therefore, the film’s festival premiere should not be confused with that planned American theatrical rollout. The announcement remains a distribution plan as of October 28, 2026.

David Walliams Salary

No reliable current annual salary is publicly established for Walliams. Television fees, publishing royalties, appearances, and adaptation agreements involve different contracts. Historical reports about Britain’s Got Talent should not be presented as his 2026 pay.

David Walliams Net Worth 2026

Walliams’s net worth is not reliably established by a complete public financial accounting. Book sales are not equivalent to royalties retained, and charity fundraising is not personal income. Undisclosed divorce and litigation settlements also cannot support a defensible wealth total.

Biography Summary