David Walliams is reportedly on the brink of a multimillion-pound out-of-court settlement with Britain’s Got Talent following his axe from the show.
Last year, it was announced that the 52-year-old had stepped down from the ITV show after he made controversial remarks about a number of contestants. The Sun reported that secret talks were held this week after the comedian launched legal actions over claims he was “spied on”, following the release of leaked recordings from auditions in 2020.
The star claimed that producers “recorded, transcribed and retained” his every word during his 10 years as judge. The Little Britain star also claimed he had no idea his microphone was “kept on and recording” during filming, which ended up capturing private chats that he believes shouldn’t have been broadcast.
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David is now seeking significant damages from makers of the show Fremantle, in High Court documents seen by The Sun. He believes the fallout has ruined his reputation and career.
(Image: ITV)
The star has also been treated for severe depression and admitted to having suicide thoughts. The claim, which is up to £10million, alleges 1,700 hours of audio recordings were collected.
A source told the publication: “There is a willingness on both sides to avoid going to court. The specific details of the talks are being kept secret for obvious reasons but an agreement is not far off.”
On Friday (November 24), Fremantle said they were “saddened” by the legal action and “remain open to resolve this matter amicably”. The derogatory remarks were recorded during an audition show at the London Palladium and saw David call an elderly contestant a “c**t” three times while speaking to an unknown party at the judges table.
(Image: PA)
He also claimed another contestant would think the judge wanted to “f**k” her, muttering when she walked on stage: “She’s like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f**k them, but you don’t”. He later reportedly added: “I know, she’s just like: ‘Oh, f**k off!’ I was saying, she thinks you want to f**k her, but you don’t.
“It’s the last thing on your mind, but she’s like: ‘Yep, I bet you do!’ ‘No I don’t!’ I had a bit of a boner, but now it’s going, it’s now shrivelled up inside my body.” After the recordings were first published by The Guardian, David publicly apologised for the comments.
(Image: PA)
He told the publication: “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.” David is understood to be the only BGT judge to have been recorded making offensive remarks about contestants across three episodes worth of transcripts.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
