--- title: "HarperCollins drops David Walliams' book back catalogue" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/harpercollins-drops-david-walliams-book-back-catalogue" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/harpercollins-drops-david-walliams-book-back-catalogue" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/harpercollins-drops-david-walliams-book-back-catalogue.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/harpercollins-drops-david-walliams-book-back-catalogue" category: "Media" area: "United Kingdom" published: "2026-09-18T15:46:08.193Z" source_reported: "2026-09-18T15:08:11.000Z" updated: "2026-09-18T15:46:08.193Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 40 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-18T15:45:27.531195+00:00" --- # HarperCollins drops David Walliams' book back catalogue *Publisher cites allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women, which the author denies.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to HarperCollins, and the Daily Mirror provides a full report with named sources. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. The reporting clearly separates fact from comment and provides specific details about the author and his books. - Hype 40 of 100, lower is better. The language used is largely neutral, with a moderate headline that reflects the story's content. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - HarperCollins has dropped David Walliams' entire back catalogue of books. - The publisher cited allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. - David Walliams strongly denies behaving inappropriately. - Remaining copies of his books will be withdrawn from shops and online. HarperCollins has confirmed it will cease publishing David Walliams's entire back catalogue of books. The publisher cited allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. Walliams, 55, has strongly denied behaving inappropriately and is taking legal advice, according to the Daily Mirror. The decision means existing titles will be removed from sale. Remaining copies will gradually disappear from shops, and e-book and audiobook editions will also be withdrawn. HarperCollins has published all 23 of Walliams's children's books, which have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. Six of his books have been adapted for television. ## Disagreement on the reason for the publisher's decision HarperCollins stated it was dropping the author's back catalogue following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women, as reported by RTÉ and GB News. The Daily Mirror reported that the publisher cut ties with the author following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. However, a spokesperson for Walliams told the Daily Mirror that he had never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins, was not party to any investigation, and was not given an opportunity to answer questions. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated digests mention that David Walliams was dropped from the line-up for the Waterstones Children's Book Festival. None of the centre-rated digests mention that David Walliams was dropped from the line-up for the Waterstones Children's Book Festival. None of the right-rated digests mention that David Walliams was dropped from the line-up for the Waterstones Children's Book Festival. ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (5) - Centre: 40% (4) - Right: 10% (1) 1 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-18T15:45:27.531195+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-18T16:15:29.025Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led on the publisher dropping David Walliams's entire back catalogue. The Daily Mirror, which provided a full report, stated the publisher had dropped the books following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. It also noted Walliams's denial and his legal advice. The Daily Mirror report mentioned that the decision followed a Telegraph report about a complaint from a junior colleague and that former employees had alleged they were advised not to visit Walliams's home. Metro News and Pink News digests also reported the publisher dropping the back catalogue. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on HarperCollins dropping David Walliams's back catalogue. RTÉ and chortle.co.uk digests stated the publisher was dropping the author's back catalogue. The dailymail.com digest reported that the publisher was pulling all of David Walliams's books from print, noting he was a best-selling children's author whose books have sold over 60 million copies. ### Right - The right-rated report from GB News stated that HarperCollins had dropped David Walliams' back catalogue of books. The digest confirmed the publisher would no longer sell or reprint any of his children's titles, effectively removing his entire back catalogue from its publishing roster. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 5 - high: 3 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [RTÉ](https://rte.ie/entertainment/2026/0918/1592112-uk-publisher-drops-books-by-david-walliams) — UK publisher drops books by David Walliams - [Metro News](https://metro.co.uk/2026/09/18/david-walliamss-back-catalogue-dropped-publisher-29634214) — David Walliams's back catalogue 'dropped by publisher' - [chortle.co.uk](https://chortle.co.uk/news/2026/09/18/61668/publisher_drops_david_walliams_back_catalogue) — Publisher drops David Walliams back catalogue : News 2026 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide - [Daily Mirror](https://mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/harpercollins-david-walliams-book-catalogue-37677353) — David Walliams' entire back catalogue dropped by book publisher - [GB News](https://gbnews.com/celebrity/david-walliams-back-catalogue-of-books-dropped-by-publisher-harpercollins) — David Walliams' back catalogue of books dropped by publisher HarperCollins - [Pink News](https://thepinknews.com/2026/09/18/david-walliams-books-2026) — HarperCollins to Retire David Walliams Books from Print - [dailymail.com](https://dailymail.com/news/article-16141935/Publisher-HarperCollins-pulls-David-Walliams-books-print.html) — Publisher pulls all of David Walliams' books from print - [Evening Standard](https://standard.co.uk/showbiz/david-walliams-books-harpercollins-conduct-b1297476.html) — David Walliams' remaining books axed by HarperCollins after 'misconduct' claims - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/bulletin/culture/david-walliams-backlist-books-harpercollins-b3052434.html) — HarperCollins to stop selling all remaining David Walliams books - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/bulletin/culture/david-walliams-backlist-books-harpercollins-b3052434.html) — HarperCollins to stop selling all remaining David Walliams books - [Beyond The Joke](https://beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/17890/david-walliams-dropped) — HarperCollins Drops David Walliams Backlist ## Questions **Why has HarperCollins dropped David Walliams' books?** HarperCollins has dropped David Walliams' entire back catalogue of books, citing allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. David Walliams strongly denies these allegations and is taking legal advice. **What will happen to existing copies of David Walliams' books?** Remaining copies of David Walliams' books will gradually disappear from shops. E-book and audiobook editions will also be withdrawn from sale as HarperCollins removes his entire back catalogue. **How many books has David Walliams published with HarperCollins?** HarperCollins has published all 23 of David Walliams' children's books, including titles like The Boy in the Dress, Mr Stink, Gangsta Granny, and Ratburger. These books have sold over 60 million copies worldwide. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/media/harpercollins-drops-david-walliams-book-back-catalogue. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "HarperCollins drops David Walliams' book back catalogue", https://mediabias.news/media/harpercollins-drops-david-walliams-book-back-catalogue