ITV mega-talent show, Britain's Got Talent is back with a brand new judge in the line-up replacing comedian and actor, David Walliams. Strictly Come Dancing veteran Bruno Tonioli joins Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon on the panel as the Ant & Dec hosted show returns for its 16th series on the channel.
Little Britain star and children's author Walliams had been a judge on the show for a decade but in late 2022 it was reported that he'd stepped down. Speculation that the star had quit was confirmed in January this year and soon after Tonioli was confirmed as the new judge.
The show returned on Saturday, April 15 on ITV at 8pm, and also airs on Sunday, April 16. It then returns the following weekend on April 22. But why did David Walliams leave the show? For the latest TV and showbiz news sign up to our newsletter here.
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Why did David Walliams leave Britain's Got Talent?
In November 2022 leaked voice notes from Walliams' time on the show heard derogatory remarks made about a contestant and saw the judge 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."
What followed were reports of Walliams quitting that same month, but the official word did not come until January 2023. His fellow judge, Alesha Dixon posted a message about her colleague of 10 years, on Instagram: "Thank you [David] for an amazing 10 years on BGT. I love you very much and will miss you dearly."
Tonioli has said that Walliams got in touch with him after he was announced as his replacement on the show earlier this year.
"I haven’t seen David, but he was the first person to send me a message saying congratulations," he told Radio Times. "He also sent a fantastic bottle of Italian wine to my dressing room on my first day. I thought that was absolute class."
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