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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lisa McLoughlin

Alan Carr tipped to replace David Walliams on Britain’s Got Talent

The Chatty Man gets on well with the judges already

(Picture: PA Archive)

Alan Carr is set to replace judge David Walliams on the upcoming series of Britain’s Got Talent, according to a new report.

The comedian, 46, is believed to be joining the BGT judging panel when the show returns to our screens later this year after impressing show bosses.

The former Chatty Man host is no stranger to sharing his opinion on a talent show, having judged RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and is also close friends with current BGT judge Amanda Holden.

A source close to the ITV show told the Daily Mail: “Alan is hilarious but also kind. He tells a mean joke but he is also soft in the middle.

“The bosses are already excited about how wonderful he will be with the contestants. He will complement the panel so well, too, he is really close friends with Amanda and he has known Simon and Alesha for years, too.

“Everyone involved in the show is so excited and they can’t wait to get started.”

From left, Walliams pictured with Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon (PA)

The Standard has contacted a rep for Alan Carr and a Britain’s Got Talent spokesperson for comment.

Walliams’ future on the panel has looked uncertain since November, after recordings of him making explicit and disparaging remarks about some BGT auditionees were leaked to the Guardian.

The Little Britain star’s slurs were picked up by a microphone used to record chats between him and fellow judges Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell, and Alesha Dixon at the London Palladium in January 2020.

Walliams, who joined BGT in 2012, has said in a statement: “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.”

Show bosses confirmed that Walliams has been reprimanded for his derogatory comments and a spokesperson for BGT said at the time that no final decision had been made around the 2023 judging line-up.

Carr’s potential new role comes after The Sun reported that Graham Norton rejected the opportunity to join the show.

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