David Walliams is suing his former bosses on Britain’s Got Talent, ten months after he was sacked as a judge.
The comedian, 52, worth around £17million, is said to be seeking significant damages following his dismissal from the ITV show in November last year, during which he earned £1.5million a year.
The sun has claimed that David is battling it out with production company Fremantle UK after a transcript of the comments he made was leaked.
David quit the show after a ten-year stint, two weeks after he was caught calling an older contestant a ‘c***’ during a filming break.
He was forced to apologize for describing his words and for making vile sexual comments about a participating woman.
He is gone! David quit Britain’s Got Talent after ten years on the judging panel, weeks after apologizing for his vile comments about a contestant
Bruno Tonioli later took over from him at the talent show and signed a big-money deal.
A source told The Sun at the time of David’s decision to leave: “He hasn’t taken the decision lightly but it just feels like time to move on.”
‘David has decided to quit after a period of ten years. He wants to leave on a high after a great time.
‘His team has quietly held discussions in recent days making it clear that David is preparing to step down – and then producers will start considering who could replace him.’
However, he has now filed papers in the High Court in London accusing Fremantle of a data protection breach over the leak of the transcript, the Sun reports.
It is claimed he has hired intellectual property law firm Brandsmiths for the case and documents were filed with the court on Thursday, September 21.
The comments, made in January 2020 during auditions at the London Palladium, were picked up by the programme’s microphones.
In one incident, an older performer engaged in light-hearted banter with the judges, making a joke about Walliams, The Guardian claimed.
After the audition, the pensioner left, after which Walliams allegedly described him as a ‘c**t’ three times.
In a separate incident, after a female contestant left the stage, Walliams commented: ‘She’s like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub who thinks you want to fuck them but you don’t.’ He later added, “I know, she just says, ‘Oh, fuck off!’ I said, she thinks you want to fuck her, but you don’t.
“It’s the last thing on your mind, but she says, ‘Yeah, I bet you do!’
‘No, I don’t! I was a bit ab***r, but now I’m fine, it’s shriveled up in my body now.’
He is gone! The comedian (pictured in 2012) is set to quit the ITV show ahead of the 2023 series, weeks after being forced to apologize for describing an older contestant as a ‘bastard’.
Shocking: David left BGT after describing an older contestant as ac*** and making vile sexual comments about a woman who was also on the show
A comedian and impressionist who appeared on the show in 2020 claimed Walliams’ comments were about her.
Clare Harrison Mccartney initially retweeted criticism of Walliams, but then posted on Twitter: ‘Those comments from #DavidWalliams were about me at this audition. I certainly wasn’t giving David Walliams any f-me vibes, that’s in his mind. What a misogynist who thinks all women like him.’
She added: “As if I didn’t feel low enough after that audition and him implying I liked him – don’t flatter yourself Walliams. I only went to BGT to try and get a better life because I’m in a council flat, you sad misogynist.’
It is not clear how Ms Harrison Mccartney would have known she was the target of the comments, and a spokeswoman for Fremantle UK denied they were about her.
In a statement to the Guardian After the transcripts were revealed, Walliams said: ‘I would like to apologize to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks during 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.’