Damian Grammaticas
Political correspondent

The prime minister's official spokesperson has described the allegations against David Walliams as "deeply troubling".

Asked to comment at the daily Downing Street press briefing, the spokesperson said: "So I'm aware, obviously, the injunction I think, has just been lifted and the individual, David Walliams, has been named."

He added: "Beyond that, I don't think we've seen the full extent of the reporting... they're clearly deeply troubling allegations and the government will doubtless respond to them during the course of the day."

David Walliams has been accused of grooming fans as young as 15, and harassing women in the workplace over a number of years, according to the joint investigation between the Guardian and ITV News.

Walliams told publications that he denies the allegations.

The Guardian has quoted a letter addressed to journalists working on this investigation, where they say Walliams wrote: "Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with.

"I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret. And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did."

He added: "I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me."

One girl told the joint investigation that she was 15 when Walliams first contacted her. And that by the time she was 17 they were having sex.

She is one of multiple women who have said that Walliams abused his power and celebrity status to prey on them for sexual purposes when they were teenagers or young women.

Walliams had asked the High Court to prevent ITN and the Guardian publishing their investigation, saying that if the allegations were made public he would kill himself.

The High Court refused his request saying that the risks could be mitigated and that it was not the court’s responsibility to protect his wellbeing.

Image source, Getty Images

David Walliams has been named as the celebrity who tried to block the publication of sexual misconduct allegations against him.

In the past few minutes, ITV and the Guardian have published stories naming Walliams as the celebrity behind the injunction.

He has denied the allegations against him.

We’ll bring you more on this shortly.