David Walliams’ ex Lou Teasdale issues statement condemning use of NDAs amid allegations against BGT judge

“I’ll tell you it is open and standard protocol for girls to sign NDAs and have their phones taken from them before they’re left alone with a famous man,” she wrote.

Ms Teasdale, who is currently in a relationship with footballer Andy Carroll, insisted she was not levelling accusations at any specific individual she had worked alongside.

Instead, she said she was drawing attention to a system that is “completely legal” yet “treats a celebrity man’s privacy as more important than a woman’s safety.”

The mother of one added: “How can a man be expected to behave with any accountability when there is an agreement in place beforehand to remove the woman’s voice and the device that would keep her safe?

“We can all be encouraging women to come forward, but please can someone make it clear. If you’ve signed an NDA and you’ve been raped, are you allowed to come forward?

“I would imagine there are a lot of victims scared to in fear of litigation.”

Her statement arrived just one day after Mr Walliams was publicly identified as the celebrity behind a failed High Court injunction that had sought to prevent The Guardian and ITN from publishing allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Mr Walliams’ legal team had argued that naming him could cause irreparable damage to his mental health, but the court ruled that the responsibility for protecting his wellbeing lay with clinicians rather than with gagging the press.

Ms Teasdale and Mr Walliams were reported to have had a brief relationship in early 2020 whilst she was working as a stylist on Britain’s Got Talent.

The Sun first revealed the romance at the time, reporting that the pair had been “having a real giggle” before Mr Walliams ended things.

The 55-year-old comedian is accused of exploiting his fame to groom young girls for sex, allegations he has firmly denied.

A joint investigation by The Guardian and ITN reported that he sent messages to multiple teenage girls he had met online, including one who was just 15 at the time.

Mr Walliams issued a statement in response to the allegations. In a letter to The Guardian, he said: “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.”

Fremantle UK, the production company behind Britain’s Got Talent, said it was “disturbed and concerned” by the allegations.

Mr Walliams served as a judge on the ITV talent show from 2012 until his departure in 2022.

The BGT production company added that “during his time on the show and in the intervening period, no complaint was ever made regarding his behaviour to Fremantle UK”. It emphasised that Mr Walliams hasn’t been a judge on the show for “more than four years”.

The Little Britain star has also had his Labour Party membership suspended and been dropped by his literary agents, Independent Talent Group.

A spokesperson for the agency said: “ITG is deeply disturbed by the allegations concerning David Walliams.

“Our thoughts are with anyone who has been affected. We are no longer representing him in any capacity.”

Elsewhere, the BBC removed content featuring Mr Walliams, including Little Britain, from its streaming service.

A spokesperson for the BBC said: “These are serious allegations. As such, the BBC is looking carefully at all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms.

“We are in the process of removing some programmes, including Little Britain, whilst this review is underway.”