David Walliams' new book was promoted hours before he was ditched by publisher

HarperCollins was still supporting the author after allegations of inappropriate behaviour surfaced

- Claudia Williams & Stephen Armstrong

David Walliams, at the Hay festival, above, was the subject of a Tortoise podcast; inset, his latest book. Jeff Morgan/Alamy

(Jeff Morgan/Alamy)

On Thursday, the HarperCollins children's Instagram account shared a post celebrating the new David Walliams book, Santa & Son. Accompanied by a festive image of hot chocolate and candy canes, it called the book "a Christmas caper" by the "No 1 king of comedy".

On Friday, HarperCollins, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, announced that it would no longer be publishing any new titles by Walliams after reports about allegations of "inappropriate" behaviour towards young women.

Questions have been raised about when HarperCollins was made aware of the allegations and how it plans to deal with the author's extensive back catalogue.

HarperCollins carried out an internal inquiry into Walliams after a junior employee made a complaint against him, according to the Telegraph. After the inquiry ended in 2024, measures were reportedly taken to limit contact between Walliams and some employees, and staff were told to attend meetings in pairs and avoid visiting his home.

One woman who raised concerns is said to have left the company after receiving a five-figure settlement.

The publisher did not respond to a request for comment about its decision to continue promoting Walliams and his books after the investigation.