The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences involving comedian and author David Walliams, according to reports. The force confirmed it is examining a number of claims, which it said are separate from those recently reported by ITV News and The Guardian.
In a statement, the Met said detectives were also "proactively reviewing that reporting to establish whether there is any evidence of offences." Walliams, 55, has denied any wrongdoing, insisting he is "not a sexual predator" and has not "broken the law."
New Claims Emerge
The Daily Star reported that the Met had received "a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences." The investigation has prompted widespread media coverage, with several newspapers leading on the story.
The Guardian highlighted the Met's probe into the entertainer and children's author, while also reporting separately on the financing of security for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. According to the paper, Farage's security was paid for by Reform despite claims that it would be funded by a £5m gift from a party donor in 2024. A spokesperson for Reform UK said: "As a standard practice, we do not comment on security matters."
Reform UK in Focus
The i Paper reported that Reform's deputy leader lobbied the Bank of England on cryptocurrency after a £9m donation. The paper noted there is no suggestion that the donor, Christopher Harborne, asked the deputy leader to write to the Bank or that he was acting on his behalf. The deputy leader has said his intervention is consistent with a longstanding position in support of financial deregulation.
Meanwhile, The Sun featured a statement from TV personality Noel Fielding regarding Russell Brand's sentencing to more than 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. Fielding said he was "appalled" by some of the jokes he made alongside Brand "and I very much regret them." He added that he was completely unaware of Brand's crimes and had "no contact with him for many years."
Asylum Seekers Housing Plan
The Daily Express focused on the government's granting of planning permission to house more than 1,200 asylum seekers at a former military site near Piddington, Oxfordshire. The headline read: "We will fight this betrayal," as locals vowed to oppose the plans. The government has said it will continue to engage with the community and that no final decision on the site has been taken.
Nvidia Succession and Other News
The Financial Times reported that Nvidia's board has approached Rene Haas, a former staffer who currently runs British chipmaker Arm, to succeed Jensen Huang as chief executive. Huang's career "imploded over an infidelity scandal," according to the paper.
The Daily Mail led on a story about Mohammed Alfatih, whose links to Hamas can now be reported following his conviction on Friday of unlawfully wounding a bailiff outside his Birmingham home. He was also re-arrested in detention by German authorities on suspicion of involvement in an alleged gun plot to attack Jewish targets. A Home Office spokesperson said the government condemns "those who choose to support [Hamas's] activities and further its aims."
In other news, the shadow education secretary told The Times that schools should limit the time pupils spend looking at screens. The Conservatives' Laura Trott warned that "overuse of computers and tablets does 'real damage' to children." The Times also carried a photograph of King Charles III from his visit to Croydon on Friday, where he was given a 78th-birthday cake.
The Daily Telegraph led on its interview with former Prime Minister David Cameron about his family's "harrowing ordeal" with Alzheimer's. Lord Cameron, now president of Alzheimer's Research UK, is urging the government to "make breakthrough treatments available on the NHS." The paper also covered the launch of a new campaign against the UK rejoining the EU, called Stay Out, ahead of a UK-EU summit next week.
