Inside David Walliams’ life as he’s set to spend Christmas without son Alfred
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In the early 2000s, David Walliams was a national treasure and one-half of the hit BBC sketch show, Little Britain, which poked fun at British social stereotypes. Alongside Matt Lucas, the pair created once-iconic characters like Vicky Pollard, Mr Mann, and Sebastian, and won prestigious accolades like Emmys, BAFTAs, National Comedy Awards, and People’s Choice Awards. (Picture: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for The Mediterrane Film Festival)
Following the success of Little Britain, David and Matt went on to write Come Fly With Me in 2010, a mockumentary-style sketch show set in a fictional airport with three fictional airlines. Two years later, he landed a judging role on Britain’s Got Talent during the peak of its success. During this time, he had also established himself as a successful children’s author and even managed to swim the channel for charity. (Picture: Phillip Massey/FilmMagic)
However, after a string of controversies, David’s star began to fade. They led to him retreating from the spotlight, both in terms of glitzy showbiz events (where he would jokingly cosy up to pal Simon Cowell, who has now unfollowed him on Instagram) and high-profile acting roles. (Picture: Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)
In another, more personal blow, the 54-year-old has revealed that he will be spending this Christmas without his 12-year-old son, Alfred, who is scheduled to spend the festive season with his mother, and David’s ex-wife, Lara Stone. The revelation comes as David is doing the promotional rounds for his new book, Santa & Son. The story follows a young boy named Elvis, who is being raised by a single mother while his father lives life as a grumpy retired Santa. But when the pair meet, father and son quickly bond and embark on a joint adventure. (Picture: Dave Benett/Elton John AIDS Foundation/WireImage)
Speaking about the book on Mike Hosking’s breakfast show in New Zealand, David said: ‘This dad in the book is sort of a deadbeat dad, but there’s definitely a theme running through about parents, separated parents. And so I was thinking a bit about the pain you feel as a parent when you don’t have your child at Christmas. I think at Christmas there’s a sort of thing that we’ve all got to be happy, but there’s often sort of melancholy creeps in.’ David then spoke about his son, Alfred. He said: ‘I don’t have him for Christmas. I was thinking a bit about sometimes the pain you feel as a parent when you don’t have your child at Christmas.’ (Picture: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for The Mediterrane Film Festival)
During the same interview, David opened up about how the festive season is an emotional time for him, as it’s around the time he lost his father. The actor expanded: ‘I remember my dad died some 17 years ago now but it was in November and I remember sort of dreading the first Christmas without him and it was just horrendous missing him. And so it’s one of these things, isn’t it? It’s a time where it’s almost like you’re forced to be happy, but it’s not always the happiest, especially if something has gone on like you’re grieving or something.’ (Picture: Getty Images)
Despite not getting to spend December 25 with his son, David did say that he was looking forward to holidaying with Alfred in the Maldives beforehand. An insider also told the Daily Mail that after his split from Lara in 2015, plus his Britain’s Got Talent axe in 2022, David has been ‘very lonely.’ ‘Despite the career and all the connections, he’s incredibly generous, kind and considerate, but is quite a troubled soul,’ the source said, adding: ‘I think that he is just deeply unhappy, underneath it all.’ (Picture: Getty Images)
David Walliams’ controversies explained
David was let go from Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 after a 10-year stint as a judge. It was revealed he had made inappropriate comments about contestants, transcripts of which were published in The Guardian. The outlet exposed derogatory and sexually explicit remarks about a female contestant, plus an offensive comment about an elderly contestant. (Picture: Beretta/Sims/Shutterstock)
David Walliams’ controversies explained
When the comments were made public, David decided to step down. A source told The Sun at the time: ‘He hasn’t taken the decision lightly, but it just feels like time to move on. David has decided to bow out after a 10-year run. He wants to leave on a high after a wonderful time. His team have quietly been having conversations over the past few days where it has been made clear that David is readying himself to step down – and then producers will start to think about who might replace him.’ David was later replaced by Bruno Tonioli. (Picture: Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock)
David Walliams’ controversies explained
While David apologised for his remarks, he also sued the show’s production company, Fremantle, for misuse of private information and breaching data laws. According to the Daily Mail, the company apologised, and David reportedly received around £5 million for the inconvenience. His relationship with Simon Cowell also reportedly soured, with the Daily Mail revealing last year that the pair ‘are no longer on speaking terms at all.’ During their BGT days, David used to call himself Simon’s ‘number one girl.’ (Picture: Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock)
Will there ever be another Little Britain?
Last, David appeared on Good Morning Britain, where he spoke about the future of Little Britain. After revealing that all the clips from the show are being shared on TikTok and Instagram, David said it’s ‘found a whole new audience.’ He added: ‘We would like to do more.’ For those unaware, the series was removed from several streaming platforms, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Britbox, due to the portrayal of racial, ethnic, and other stereotyped characters. Come Fly With Me was also later removed from streaming services for the same reasons. (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
