- David Walliams sues talent show.
- Left BGT after controversy.
- Lawsuit over remarks leaked.
David Walliams, the 52-year-old comedian, is taking legal action against the production company of Britain’s Got Talent.
Having joined the panel in 2012, Walliams served as a judge on the ITV talent program for a decade.
However, the celebrity left the show in November of last year, shortly after apologizing for making “disrespectful comments” about auditioning contestants.
The apology followed the leaking of transcripts of remarks he made during breaks in filming for the popular show in January 2020, which were disclosed to The Guardian newspaper.
Thames TV, a subsidiary of FremantleMedia, stated at the time that Walliams’ comments were private but deemed his language “inappropriate.”
Walliams has initiated a lawsuit against FremantleMedia in London’s High Court.
The defendant in the case is listed as David Edward Williams, the comedian’s actual name.
While the case is classified as related to data protection, no further details have been disclosed.
Walliams departed from the program in November and was succeeded by former Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli.
Tonioli joined the judging panel alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon, all of whom collaborated with Walliams during his tenure on the program.
Before joining Britain’s Got Talent, Walliams co-starred in BBC sitcoms Little Britain and Come Fly With Me.
A successful children’s author, the comedian received an OBE in 2017 for his philanthropic and artistic work.
