Doha Film Festival Pulls David Walliams Adaptation Fing From 2026 Lineup Over Misconduct Allegations
What happened
The Doha Film Festival pulled the family fantasy feature *Fing!* from its slate following published sexual misconduct allegations against co-writer and author David Walliams.
The Context
* Rapid festival response: Organizers in Qatar cancelled the screening within hours of a joint Guardian and ITV News report detailing multi-year allegations against Walliams, issuing automatic refunds to ticket holders ahead of the November 19–27 event. * International distribution fallout: Global partners acted in tandem, with Sky terminating UK and Ireland distribution, the BBC pulling library programming, and Australian streamer Stan dropping the film despite producers cutting Walliams' cameo. * Denials and failed injunctions: The reporting emerged after Walliams failed to secure a legal injunction, though he maintains a complete denial of all allegations spanning from 2003 onward.
The Number
— The age of the youngest individual cited in the investigation claims, a detail that prompted international entertainment networks to scrub active distribution channels within 48 hours.
Takeaway
Expect enterprise distributors and festival boards to institutionalize instant-exit clauses as brand exposure becomes the primary metric in programming strategy.
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