Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams reportedly made some vile comments about contestants in breaks between filming for the show.
David Walliams has been a judge on Britain's Got Talent alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon since 2012. Thanks to Walliams' sense of humor, he has been awarded best judge three times throughout his tenure. However, the comedian's future on Britain's Got Talent is ‘very much up in the air’ following the his apology for inappropriate comments about contestants.
Walliams to leave show after ten years
David Walliams' future as a judge on Britain's Got Talent is ‘very much up in the air’, according to an ITV representative, amid suspicion that he is leaving the show after ten years.
According to the Mirror, exiting the show will be a decision Walliams will 'not taken lightly' and is believed to be preparing to formally confirm his decision to step back over the next few weeks.
A source close to the judge said:
'David has decided to bow out after a ten-year run. He wants to leave on a high after a wonderful time.'
However, a BGT spokeswoman stated that no final decision had yet been reached regarding the 2023 judging lineup.
‘The judging panel for Britain’s Got Talent 2023 will be announced in due course,’ the spokesperson announced.
‘It’s still very much up in the air at the moment on whether David is going to take part in next year’s show. No decision, though, has been made as yet.’
What leads to Walliams' departure?
According to a Guardian report, Walliams recently apologized for using 'disrespectful statements' towards contestants while filming an episode of the show.
His apology came earlier this month when he was caught on camera making insulting and sexually explicit statements about those auditioning for the show at the London Palladium in January 2020.
After an unsuccessful audition, Walliams referred to an older performer as a ‘c*nt’ three times, according to a leaked transcript obtained by the Guardian. The contestant had participated in a lighthearted conversation with the judges throughout the audition, during which he made a joke regarding Walliams.
The transcript also recorded further sexually explicit comments made after a female contestant had walked off the stage.
More sexually explicit remarks were also made by the judge after a female contestant had been off the stage, recorded from the transcript.
Walliams's apology for his remarks
In a statement, Walliams explained that he were having 'private conversations that were not to be shared':
‘I would like to apologize to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for Britain’s Got Talent in 2020. These were private conversations and – like most conversations with friends – were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry.’
Lawyers representing Walliams and Thames TV, the production firm behind Britain's Got Talent once confessed that those clips were part of a private chat that was never intended to be broadcast.
Thames TV once said in a statement:
‘Although relating to a private conversation almost three years ago, the language used was inappropriate. Even though it was private, those involved have been spoken to and reminded of their responsibilities and the show’s expectations as to future professional conduct.’
According to The Guardian, Walliams' comments were the only instances of offensive statements made towards candidates in the three episodes analyzed from the leaked transcripts. There has been no implication that any of the other judges made inappropriate comments about contestants.
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