David Walliams SUES Britain's Got Talent bosses after he was axed from ITV show over X-rated rant about contestant | The Sun
DAVID Walliams is suing his former bosses at Britain's Got Talent after he was axed as a judge, we can reveal.
Walliams, 52, is seeking significant damages after he was sacked from the ITV show in November last year.
He stepped down after a transcript of comments he made about contestants during a break in filming was leaked.
He called one OAP a "c***" three times and said of another: "She thinks you want to f*** her, but you don't."
The derogatory remarks were picked up on his microphone during auditions at the London Palladium in January 2020.
Walliams apologised after the comments were made public at the end of last year.
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He and lawyers argued they were part of private conversations that were never intended for broadcast.
But he resigned from the show two weeks later.
He is now going to war with BGT production company, Fremantle, over the damaging leak.
Walliams, a hugely popular children's author and TV personality, lodged papers at London's High Court last Thursday.
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They appeared under his real name David Edward Williams.
He accuses Fremantle of a data protection breach over the leaked transcript which ended his 10-year BGT judging career.
And he has hired legal powerhouse, Brandsmiths, who specialise in data protection breaches.
In a statement issued before he quit, Walliams said: "I would like to apologise 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."
Walliams' comments were the only instances of derogatory remarks about contestants in the leaked transcripts from three episodes.
There is no suggestion that Simon Cowell or any other judge made offensive remarks about contestants.
ITV said it did not "condone" the language used and had spoken to producers of BGT.
Walliams, who joined the talent show in 2012, was later replaced by former Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli.
He first joined the show alongside pop star Alesha, with the pair replacing Michael McIntyre and David Hasselhoff.
And he proved hugely popular, scooping three Best Judge gongs at the National TV Awards.
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During his decade at the judges desk he stripped to his undies, was lowered in from the ceiling as the Queen and danced as part of a troupe in navy outfits.
The Sun contacted representatives for Walliams but Brandsmiths declined to comment. Fremantle also declined to comment.
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