Walliams is best-selling children’s author... with 100 weeks at the top!
HIS bizarre characters in the television series Little Britain tickled the nation.
And David Walliams has found even more success amusing a younger audience, putting him on course to earn a substantial cut of £17million this year.
The 45-year-old star – who has a fouryear-old son with ex-wife Lara Stone – is celebrating his 100th non-consecutive week as the UK’s best- selling children’s author. He beat competition from JK Rowling, teen favourite Stephenie Meyer and Roald Dahl.
He has sold more than 1.3million books in 2017 so far, 23 per cent up on last year, according to trade magazine The Bookseller.
It makes the Britain’s Got Talent judge the top overall author of the first half of the year. Julia Donaldson, writer of The Gruffalo, is second and Harry Potter creator Miss Rowling is third.
Instagram chef Joe Wicks comes fourth on the list and Lee Child, who penned the hit Jack Reacher novels, comes in fifth.
Walliams’s books include Awful Auntie, Gangsta Granny and Demon Dentist. His titles The Boy In The Dress and Billionaire Boy have been made into TV shows on CBBC. His book Ratburger, about a girl called Zoe whose pet rat is wanted for meat, has been commissioned by Sky and will be aired over Christmas.
But it is understood Walliams has no desire to focus purely on writing. A source said: ‘David is delighted with how his books have been received and that both parents and children have embraced him as an author.
‘He loves writing and making kids laugh and such success is merely the icing on the cake. David has no plans to give up TV or his charity work though, and will continue to try and do it all.’