David Walliams ' future on Britain's Got Talent appears to be uncertain following derogatory comments he made about contestants from the ITV show in the past.
David, 51 - who has been a judge on BGT since 2012 - has apologised for making "disrespectful comments". They were made during breaks from filming for the show in 2020.
The apology came following reports of a leaked transcript that featured alleged remarks by the comedian. Such comments included someone being referred to as a "c***".
It has attracted much attention this week. There have even been calls from the public for Walliams to leave the talent show, with one person tweeting: "He should be sacked!"
Another wrote: "He should [...] do the decent thing and quit". One person said: "He should be fired." Whilst another wrote: "[He] should quit BGT and stop writing books." "BGT is a family show. [...] He needs to be sacked," wrote another.
And a poll hosted on social media by news outlet ICYMI found that 85 percent of respondents felt he should quit. The poll had received almost 60 votes before it closed.
It has been reported that David - along with fellow judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon - are in negotiations over contracts for next year. The Mirror understands that none of them have signed a deal yet.
The Guardian revealed yesterday that it had seen a transcript of alleged conversations from BGT filming. It was said to date back to filming at the London Palladium in 2020.
It reported that Walliams was recorded referring to one contestant as a "c***". It claimed that he said about another contestant: "She thinks you want to f*** her, but you don't."
There were other remarks about the latter. They included: "She's like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f*** them, but you don't."
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Walliams has apologised. He said in a statement: "I would like to apologise to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for [BGT] in 2020."
He continued: "These were private conversations and - like most conversations with friends - were never intended to be shared." Walliams added: "Nevertheless, I am sorry."
As previously reported, there's no suggestion that his fellow judges were aware of the remarks. Nor is there a suggestion that hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were either.
Sources close to the production have told the Daily Mail that Walliams' return is "very much under threat". They said some people think he should be axed immediately.
One source told the outlet that the controversy has come amid contract discussions. They said it "could not have come at a worse time in terms of his return to BGT".
They said that he hasn't signed a deal yet and that his remarks have become a "huge part" of discussions. The source said he has been left in a "very precarious position".
The source stated that BGT is a beloved family show. They said that his comments are "offensive" and that some people are saying that his return is "now highly unlikely".
"There are some people involved in the show who point blank don't want him back. There is a danger of this incident becoming part of the BGT narrative and nobody wants that," the source added.
A spokesperson for Thames TV - the production company behind BGT - told us in a statement earlier this week that those involved had been spoken to. And they described the language used in the remarks as "inappropriate".
They said: "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."
A spokesperson for Simon Cowell and Syco Entertainment - who act as co-producers - said recently: "We were unaware of the alleged conversation until contacted by the Guardian, and whilst it is not suggested Simon heard the alleged remarks, we can confirm he did not. Britain's Got Talent is a family show and we do not condone the use of any such language."
The Mirror approached Thames TV and Walliams' rep for comment.
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