David Walliams has alleged that he lost out on work, including a Channel 4 show, as a result of reported derogatory comments he made on the set of Britain’s Got Talent that were leaked.
The Little Britain actor served as a judge on the ITV talent show for 10 years, but quit the series in January after offensive comments he reportedly made off-camera about some contestants were leaked to The Guardian.
Walliams apologised at the time, telling The Independent: “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.”
In September, Walliams, 52, sued production company Fremantle for a reported £10m in connection with the leaked transcript that ended his 10-year tenure as judge on the show.
In High Court documents obtained by Deadline, Walliams has claimed that his “reputation and earnings have been severely “damaged” by the report.
It is alleged in the legal filing that offers of work were “withdrawn” once the alleged remarks were released. This reportedly included a travel programme across India for Channel 4, which is said to have been cancelled “entirely”.
Walliams also claims that the BBC withdrew its share of funding for an animation series based on his 2011 kids’ book Gangsta Granny, which had been in development, while Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production company Really Useful Group reportedly ended its involvement in a musical based on the same novel.
With his former ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judging panel members— (Getty Images)
The Independent has contacted Channel 4, the BBC, and the Really Useful Group for comment.
In previously shared legal filings, Walliams claims that his annual earnings dropped from £3.7m in 2022 to £101,800 from January to May 2023.
In earlier reports on Walliams’ lawsuit, the comedian alleged that some of his private conversations during filming days were recorded “without his knowledge or consent”.
The TV personality also claimed that he “lost his ability to be funny” after his departure from the programme, and said that his exit from Britain’s Got Talent left him with “suicidal thoughts”.
“Because of the constant concern that any unguarded comments could be used against him, he has lost the ability to be spontaneous or edgy – in short, to be funny,” the filing stated.
“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.”
Fremantle told The Sun that it was saddened by Walliams’ legal action and that it remained open to dialogue with the comedian “to resolve this matter amicably”.
“However, in the interim we will examine the various allegations and are prepared to robustly defend ourselves if necessary,” said a spokesperson for the company.
According to reports, Walliams is seeking damages, which include the £1m he stood to receive from Britain’s Got Talent plus £1.7m in lost earnings from the last year. The remaining money, it states, is unspecified damages for psychiatric harm, distress and upset caused, and legal costs.
