Sara Pascoe Says She Was Fired From David Walliams' 'Wall of Fame' as Publisher Pulls His Books

British comedian and children’s author David Walliams is back in the headlines after comedian Sara Pascoe said she was fired from a short-lived panel show he hosted in 2011. The comments, made to Radio Times and reported by The Independent on Tuesday, Oct. 27, land as Walliams’ longtime publisher continues to phase his books out of circulation.

To be clear about what Pascoe said: she did not accuse Walliams of anything. She described her own struggle on the show.

What Sara Pascoe said about Wall of Fame

Wall of Fame was a Sky1 panel show, hosted by Walliams, in which two teams of celebrities discussed the week’s most talked-about famous names. It ran for one series in 2011, with panelists including Jack Dee, Kate Garraway and Andrew Maxwell, according to The Independent.

Pascoe, now 45, said she was brought in after regular panelist Tamara Ecclestone was replaced two weeks in, and appeared in eight episodes. She told Radio Times she had done well in office run-throughs but froze once filming began.

“I’m not speaking out of turn because they fired me as I was equally shy,” she said, as quoted by The Independent. “It was like I’d had a breakdown; I’d sit silently or say one thing and nobody would laugh, so I wouldn’t speak again.”

She added that “you have to learn how to be on a panel show because they are completely different to stand-up,” and argued that TV still doesn’t give newer comedians enough of a platform.

Why Walliams is already in the news

The story drew extra attention because of where Walliams’ career stands now.

• December 2025: HarperCollins UK said it would not release any new titles by Walliams, the BBC reported. The Telegraph said the decision followed an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior toward young women. HarperCollins did not confirm its reasons and said it does not comment on internal matters.
• Walliams’ response: A spokesperson said he had “never been informed of any allegations,” was not part of any investigation and “strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately,” adding that he was taking legal advice, per the BBC.
• BBC: The broadcaster said at the time it had “no future projects directly involving David Walliams.”
• September 2026: HarperCollins began phasing out his remaining backlist in print, e-book and audio, The Independent reported, citing trade publication The Bookseller.

No charges or legal findings have been reported against Walliams, and the allegations described by the Telegraph remain unproven. He has denied them.

Who is David Walliams?

Walliams first became famous in the sketch series Little Britain and later served as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, which he left in 2022. He has sold more than 60 million books worldwide, the BBC reported, with titles such as Gangsta Granny, Billionaire Boy and The Boy in the Dress, his first children’s book, published by HarperCollins in 2008.

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