Did David Walliams actually date ANY of his ‘exes’? Comedian admits Natalie Imbruglia saw him as a ‘gay best friend’ – and many of his past ‘romances’ weren’t what they seemed

As a judge on Britain’s Got Talent and half of the nation’s most sucessful comedy duo, David Walliams was at one time seen as one of the most eligible bachelors in showbiz.

Scarcely a month would go past withouth him being linked to a gorgeous model, singer or TV star in the wake of his divorce from model Lara Stone in 2015. 

Despite his career success, his popularity with women did occasionally raise an eyebrow thanks to his rather camp image and penchant for dressing up as a woman in his comedy sketches. 

Not to mention the fact that he used to describe himself as Simon Cowell’s ‘Number one girl’ on BGT, and was in the habit of leaping on the music mogul at red-carpet events

Now, however, the mystery may be solved after Walliams himself opened up about his rumoured romance with Torn singer Natalie Imbruglia.

The comedian, 53, told of his heartbreak after being friend-zoned by former Neighbours star, telling how he fell for her ‘like a ton of bricks,’ but she saw him more as a ‘gay best friend.’

Speaking on Australian radio show Fitzy and Wippa with Kate Ritchie, David said: ‘She’s very much friend-zoned me.’

Walliams, who hails from suburban Banstead in Surrey, has in the past been tortured by crushes on unattainable women, and has experienced, by his own admission, a phase of being a sex addict.

Since splitting from Stone in 2015, he’s failed to find a lasting realtionship and his TV career was left in tatters after comments he made on a ‘hot mic’ on the BGT judging panel three years earlier emerged in 2022. 

Walliams is said to have described a pensioner who had auditioned as a ‘c***’ three times. 

He also said of a departing female contestant: ‘She’s like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f*** them, but you don’t.’ 

He later added: ‘I know, she’s just like: ‘Oh, f*** off!’ I was saying, she thinks you want to f*** her, but you don’t. It’s the last thing on your mind, but she’s like: ‘Yep, I bet you do!’ ‘ 

A long-time friend of Walliams on the London social scene said at the time: ‘He is a very lonely man despite the career and all the connections. He’s incredibly generous, kind and considerate but is quite a troubled soul. I think that he is just deeply unhappy, underneath it all.’

Here, MailOnline delves into Walliams’ complicated love life and how his relationships with a string of fellow celebrities and models are now in question after his admission about Imbruglia – were they really dating, or did they too see him as the ‘gay best friend’?

Abi Titmuss: 2004 

The glamour model ex of TV presenter John Leslie described in her memoir how she clocked Walliams checking her out at a film screening in 2004. 

‘It was exciting and made me feel nice,’ she recalled. ‘He came over and introduced himself. I liked him instantly. He was nice and tall and I liked the way he was dressed. 

She didn’t want to give him her number in front of journalists, and he said that he’d get it from her publicist, who also represented his pal Jimmy Carr. 

On their first date, he picked her up in his vintage car and she said he was ‘great company’ and a ‘gentleman’, who ended their outing with a kiss on the cheek. 

‘Not completely sure how much I fancy him either, so it’s probably best to wait,’ she recalled thinking at the time. 

However, she started to feel a ‘real spark’ after their second date and said she loved talking to him.  

‘He’s incredibly intelligent and I can actually have a decent conversation about all sorts of things. I feel I can learn from him, especially true when I talked about my wish to act, and I like that. 

‘I feel very safe with him. I can’t explain it. I feel at home,’ she said. 

When she was having trouble with a stalker at work, she called Walliams who was her ‘knight in shining armour’. 

‘I get the feeling that everyone on the outside thinks we’re an unlikely couple, but to me, we’re completely right for each other,’ she said. ‘I could chat to David for hours — I want to soak up everything he has to say. He fascinates me.’

However, tensions emerged in the relationship because David wasn’t a fan of her sexy image and photoshoots. 

‘I suppose he was attracted to me initially because he had seen me in sexy pictures on the cover of magazines,’ she said. ‘But it felt like now we were in a relationship he didn’t like it any more. I couldn’t believe it.’

Their relationship ended after three months after a row about her modelling work, but like many of his exes, she said they remained on good terms.  

Lisa Snowdon: 2005

David and the TV presenter, 52, dated years ago but decided to remain friends.

Before their fling was made public, David confessed in his book back in 2006 that he’d been left heartbroken by a mystery woman, referring to her only as ‘Miss X’.

However, Lisa later revealed that she was David’s secret love interest, but noted that nothing happened between them romantically.

She told The Sun at the time: ‘Yes, It’s me. I’m Miss X. I was hoping no one would realise. David and I are great friends and he’s such an amazing bloke, but there is no romance.

‘David has made it clear he has feelings for me but we’ve got to a point where we can just have a platonic relationship’.

She went on to call the comedian a ‘gentleman’ and although they briefly dated, she told him she wanted to just remain friends. 

Lisa has also previously said of their fling: ‘We did have a couple of dates, but it’s not how everyone thinks. We’ve never slept together. We’re just pals – really good friends.

‘It was a bit weird when he said his most proudest moment was seeing me naked. That’s flattering because he’s seen a fair few chicks naked. People assume that we slept together, but we didn’t.’

Geri Horner: 2007

David and the Spice Girl, 52, were said to have had a six-week dalliance back in 2007. 

The pair had known each other on the celebrity circuit for years, but struck up a discreet romance in January that year. 

A source said at the time: ‘They are very tactile with each other and he’s such a gent. Geri just can’t stop smiling.’

They never got around to making any public comment about the relationship at the time and remained friends after their split – with Geri attending his wedding to Lara. 

She has since revealed that nothing romantic happened between them. 

She told the Mail on Sunday in 2015: ‘Love him. But he’s a friend. Never been anything more.’

Lauren Budd: 2009 

Prior to his marriage to Lara Stone, The Little Britain star dated lingerie model Lauren Budd in 2009.

She was 18 when she was romanced by the comedian, who was 37 at the time and spotted her at a party in London held by George Clooney. He found out who she was and sent a letter to her through her modelling agency requesting a date. 

She did not even know who he was because she never watched Little Britain – preferring American cartoons such as Family Guy instead.

A friend said: ‘She said she found it ‘weird’ that he had written her a letter calling her ‘beautiful’.’

Walliams escorted her to a number of high-profile showbiz events – even introducing her to comic partner Matt Lucas. 

Lauren revealed how David initially charmed his way into her heart with his sense of humour, saying: ‘Before we got together we were just really good friends. But he took me out for dinner and he really made me laugh. It’s only been a few months, but it’s going really well.’

When they split up after three months, she admitted that the romance was mostly platonic. 

Apparently, the relationship did not progress beyond holding hands, the occasional kiss, and whispering sweet nothings to each other over the dinner table.

The pair split up on a trip to New York, where they were due to sleep in separate bedrooms.  

Natalie Imbruglia: 2015

The pair, who were often seen together in London back in 2015, sparked romance rumours at the time. 

David had just split from his ex-wife, model Lara Stone, and was smitten with Natalie, 49 – but she only ever saw him as a close friend. 

The singer and comedian moved in the same circles and he’d attended her 34th birthday party with former flame Lauren.  

Speaking on Australian radio show Fitzy and Wippa with Kate Ritchie, David said: ‘She’s very much friend-zoned me. You know when that happens, that you have a huge crush on someone and you sort of imagine being married and what your kids look like and all that sort of thing? And you’re just completely friend-zoned.’

He added that Natalie saw him more as a ‘gay best friend’ because of his camp humour.

David told the hosts: ‘We didn’t go on any dates. We just became very good friends and we hung out together. 

‘But you know, it’s hard not to kind of fall for her like a ton of bricks because she is amazing. I think I’m seen as the sort of gay best friend by a lot of people.’

Reflecting on why things never progressed romantically, David joked: ‘Well, look at me. Let’s be honest, she could do a lot better.’

Lara Stone: 2009 – 2015

David was formerly married to Dutch model Lara Stone, 40, before their marriage ended in divorce in 2015, with the hearing lasting less than 60 seconds. 

David cited Lara’s ‘unreasonable behaviour’ for the ‘quickie divorce’, with their case being put through alongside 20 other couples. 

The split came almost five years after they tied the knot after a whirlwind romance.

David and Lara began dating in September 2009 after David took her to a Chelsea football match – with the funnyman later filling her home with flowers.

Their relationship began after Lara’s now-beaten battle with alcoholism following a stint in rehab in 2009.

David proposed in Los Angeles in 2010, before marrying at London’s exclusive Claridge’s Hotel in May 2010 – with Lara wearing a £30,000 lace and satin dress. 

Guests were left somewhat uneasy when they chose Beauty and the Beast for their first dance.   

The couple announced that Lara was pregnant in November 2012 and David gushed about how happy he was about becoming a father. 

The couple welcomed son Alfred in May 2013 with David announcing Lara’s pregnancy on his Twitter page.    

Ashley James: 2015

The pair were first said to be in a relationship in 2015, shortly after the BGT judge split from his ex-wife Lara.

It was reported in November of that year that David had been ‘pulling out all the stops’ to woo Ashley, 37, but was cautious to embark on another relationship following his split from ex-wife supermodel Lara. 

The pair were said to have rekindled their romance in 2018, with David liking a flurry of the blonde’s Instagram snaps, including a lingerie picture.

While the pair have always remained tight-lipped on rumours of a romance, a source previously told The Sun: ‘They have great chemistry and have completely hit it off.

‘There has been some very obvious flirting going on but they’ve enjoyed getting to know each other gradually among a group of other friends they socialise with.’

Ashley Roberts: 2020

 David reportedly set his sights on a romance with Pussycat Doll Ashley back in 2020.

According to The Sun, the former Britain’s Got Talent star was believed to have split from celebrity make-up artist and the late Caroline Flack’s best friend, Lou Teasdale, earlier that year following a brief romance.

A source has claimed the comedian had since reached out to the Heart Breakfast presenter, 43, and hoped to date her once the coronavirus lockdown had lifted.

An insider told the publication in May 2020: ‘David was really knocked after his painful split from Lara [Stone], but is very much looking for love now. He had a connection with Lou and they started dating in January.

‘On paper, they’re a slightly incongruous couple, but they had a real giggle before David decided they weren’t a great fit and called time on things.

‘One of the women he has messaged [since his split] is Ashley. He thinks she’s gorgeous. He’s sent a couple of flirty messages and hopes to take her out once lockdown is over.’

Keeley Hazell: 2021 

After first being linked in the noughties, David sparked romance rumours with glamour model Keeley when they attended Declan Donnelly’s wedding together. 

A week later, the rumoured couple jetted off for an Italian getaway, and Instagram snaps showed Keeley, 34, looking cosy with the children’s author and comedian. 

Yet again, however, appearances may be deceiving.  

The pair were regularly spotted together on the London social circuit towards the end of the Noughties, and seem to have stayed close ever since. 

In July 2020, it was reported David had moved former page 3 girl Keeley, into his London home for nine months after she returned from the US, where she was appearing in Ted Lasso.

Although they reportedly share a ‘special chemistry’, it was previously claimed that David and Keeley are just close pals and share a long-standing friendship.

A source previously told The Sun: ‘David and Keeley go way back and have kept in touch since she attempted to break into acting in the US.

‘He has a big empty home and was grateful for the company so it suited both parties. During her glamour modelling days, David was known as a keen admirer but now sees her very much as a close pal.  

‘Keeley also used David’s pad as a base while renovating her new home in London She moved out just before lockdown.’