David Walliams has quit Britain's Got Talent, it has been reported. Walliams has been a judge on the show for a decade, however the release of leaked voice notes from his time on the show in which he made derogatory remarks about a contestant saw him release an apology.
One remark included him calling a Britain's Got Talent contestant a "c**t" and saying about another: "She thinks you want to f**k her, but you don't." The comedian and author has since apologised for such remarks, labelling them as “disrespectful”.
“I would like to apologise to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for Britain's Got Talent in 2020,” Walliams wrote earlier this month. "These were private conversations and – like most conversations with friends – were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry."
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It is believed that, following the release of the voice notes, he has quit Britain's Got Talent, OK reports. "David has decided to bow out after a 10-year run. He wants to leave on a high after a wonderful time," an insider told The Sun. "Being on the show has been a huge source of entertainment and joy for him and he is arguably the most popular member of the panel."
In the leaked voice notes, Walliams can be heard in conversation with someone as he makes derogatory and sexually explicit remarks about participants auditioning for the show at the London Palladium in January 2020. Following an unsuccessful audition, he referred to one older performer as a "c***" three times when he was out of earshot.
The contestant had engaged in some banter with the judges during his audition, in which he made a comment about Walliams. The transcript of the voice notes shows further sexually explicit comments were made after a female contestant had walked off stage.
Walliams' exit has not been confirmed, however, a spokesperson from the show revealed that his time on the upcoming series is very much "up in the air".
"The judging panel for Britain’s Got Talent 2023 will be announced in due course," the spokesperson said in a statement to the PA news agency. "It’s still very much up in the air at the moment on whether David is going to take part in next year’s show. No decision, though, has been made as yet."
Auditions in front of the judges are not due to being for two months and no one is currently contracted for the show, it is believed.
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