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The government is signaling its readiness to compel the entertainment sector to enhance safeguarding measures unless noticeable progress is made swiftly, according to BBC Newsnight. This development follows a joint investigation by the Guardian and ITV News which surfaced allegations against entertainer David Walliams. Multiple women have accused Walliams of sexual misconduct and abusing his status, claims he firmly denies.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is expected to address a group of industry leaders next week, emphasizing that if the industry’s response to these recent claims is insufficient, the government will consider mandating participation in the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) to ensure protection for whistleblowers. Currently, the involvement in CIISA is voluntary. Earlier in the week, Nandy remarked that she is gathering key figures from broadcasting, publishing, film, and entertainment sectors to “draw a line” and underscore the need for decisive action.
This announcement comes in the wake of serious allegations against Walliams, alongside the sentencing of disgraced entertainer Russell Brand, who was convicted on charges including rape and sexual assault. The Walliams allegations emerged from an extensive three-year investigation, revealed after he lost a legal attempt to block publication of the claims. While Walliams denies all accusations, the government is preparing to hold the sector accountable, urging it to address safeguarding responsibilities proactively. If the industry fails to act adequately, forced compliance with CIISA could be imposed as part of government intervention.
Adding to this, multiple ministers have voiced support for tightening laws around non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson, speaking to Sky News, remarked there is room for more robust legislation to prevent NDAs being misused to silence women. She stated, “We cannot have a system where rich and powerful individuals, rich and powerful men, are able to silence women and stop things coming to light.” Zelda Perkins, founder of Can’t Buy My Silence and former assistant to Harvey Weinstein, highlighted to BBC Newsnight the lack of sufficient safeguards for prominent figures in creative industries and argued that membership in CIISA should be compulsory. Reflecting on her experience breaking an NDA in 2017 to expose Weinstein’s misconduct, Perkins emphasized that voluntary bodies like CIISA fail to regulate those who need oversight most, adding, “It’s still very wild west in the creative industries, people behave how they want,” but “you can change the rules around them.”
In a related development, a producer who previously worked on a TV show featuring Walliams as a guest disclosed to the BBC that she had been instructed to keep him away from young female staff due to concerns about his behavior. Speaking anonymously, she described Walliams as “creepy” and “inappropriate” and said it was widely known he should not be placed near young women in junior roles. She expressed no surprise at the recent allegations. Meanwhile, lawyers representing Walliams maintain that he has never received formal warnings or been disciplined over interactions with runners, denying any harassment claims. Comedian Kate Smurthwaite told BBC Newsnight that Walliams’ name had repeatedly come up with people expressing unease about his conduct, particularly regarding his behavior around young people. She noted many who worked with him felt uncomfortable and either left or remained while perceiving his actions as inappropriate. On the delay in the public emergence of these allegations, Smurthwaite commented, “We all know that women who raise these issues, there’s a backlash, which might be legal, it might be in terms of your career or your opportunities, it might be as subtle as being seen as a problem.”
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