Britain's Got Talent has produced some memorable moments over the years, with even the departure of one of its long-standing judges providing some drama and entertainment.
David Walliams sat alongside the likes of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon on the BGT panel for over 10 years before his abrupt departure from the ITV show in 2022, with former Strictly Come Dancing star Bruno Tonioli replacing the comic the following year.
The Little Britain co-creator, 52, left his role as a judge on the talent show after joining in 2012 when audio transcripts of him making unkind and disrespectful comments about auditioning contestants were leaked in November 2022. At the time, Walliams apologised, saying: "These were private conversations and like most conversations with friends were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry."
Walliams' "disrespectful comments" included the comedian referring to one BGT hopeful as "a c**t" and said of another, "she thinks you want to f**k her, but you don't", during breaks in filming the 2020 series. At the time, a spokesperson for BGT's production company Thames said that the language used by Walliams was "inappropriate" and that "those involved have been spoken to and reminded of their responsibilities and the show's expectations as to future professional conduct."
While Walliams never officially announced his BGT exit, it was soon reported that the children's book author was set to quit the ITV show. In January 2023, it was confirmed Walliams had left the BGT team, with Strictly star Bruno unveiled as his replacement. However, the fallout didn't end there.
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Walliams went on to sue BGT makers Fremantle in a High Court writ, claiming Fremantle committed an massive breach of data protection laws by "recording, transcribing and retaining" private chats for a whole decade. In legal documents related to the writ, Walliams revealed that he found himself grappling with dark, suicidal thoughts following his BGT exit.
David Walliams was replaced on the BGT judging panel at the start of last year (PA)In response to this, a spokesperson from Freemantle told the Mirror in October 2023: "We had a long and productive relationship with David and so are surprised and saddened by this legal action. For our part, we remain available and open to dialogue to resolve this matter amicably. However, in the interim, we will examine the various allegations and are prepared to robustly defend ourselves if necessary."
Walliams claimed his career has struggled since he stepped down as a judge on Britain's Got Talent, confessing to battling "active suicidal thoughts" and having "lost the ability to be funny". The legal documents also reportedly revealed that, since leaving ITV, Walliams has landed only one new work booking.
According to a report seen by The Sun last year, a psychiatrist who has been treating Walliams for many years reportedly said that the TV star's depression was "possibly the worst since I first met him" after leaked audio was made public. He also stated that the leak "has had a profound, severe and, at times, very worrying effect on his mental health."
In the 21-page legal document linked to the lawsuits sees lawyers for Walliams claim: "The Claimant (Walliams) now understands that, unknown to him at the time, his microphone was kept on and recording throughout the whole filming day, including breaks, during his whole tenure as a judge on the show."
The papers went on to claim Walliams now feels scared to go into a studio because he's worried what he says "could be recorded and leaked without his consent". His lawyers say that because of this, Walliams "has lost the ability to be spontaneous or edgy - in short, to be funny."
Walliams lost the 'ability to be funny' amid his BGT exit (ITV)"His inability to perform in this, his signature manner, has caused him further acute distress, because he has lost an important part of his personal and professional identity," The Sun reports what Walliams' lawyers said. The papers also say Walliams' money went down a lot from £3.7million in 2022 to just £101,800 in the first five months of 2023.
On Monday 27th November, it was reported that Walliams and Fremantle had reached an undisclosed settlement. In a statement shared with PA News agency, a spokesperson for Fremantle said: "We are pleased that we have achieved an amicable resolution of this dispute with David.
"We are sincerely sorry that his private conversations when a judge on Britain's Got Talent were published, and the great distress this caused David. We have reviewed our production practices on the show to ensure they fully respect the expectations of our talent whilst satisfying the requirements of the show. We have enjoyed a great relationship with David over many years. We thank David for being an important part of the Britain's Got Talent family and the enduring success of the show and hope to have opportunities to work with him in the future."
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