HarperCollins drops Brian Wong story from Walliams's World's Worst Children

In early 2021, the publisher HarperCollins decided to remove a story about a Chinese boy called Brian Wong from future editions of David Walliams's bestselling children's book The World's Worst Children.

The decision followed complaints that the character relied on racial stereotypes. Critics argued that the portrayal of a Chinese child was outdated and offensive, and that such depictions were out of place in a book aimed at young readers. The publisher agreed to drop the story from later printings rather than defend it.

The change was one of several moments in which Walliams's popular humour came under scrutiny over how it depicted people. Copies already sold were not affected, but new editions went ahead without the chapter.

The episode mattered because Walliams was among the best-selling children's authors in the UK, and the move showed that even his publisher was prepared to revise his work in response to public criticism. It is now part of the wider history of questions about his books and reputation.