David Walliams has reportedly claimed that the BBC “pulled part of its funding” for an animation project based on his 2011 book series Gangsta Granny due to "negative publicity".The Little Britain star stepped down from Britain's Got Talent last November after derogatory comments he made about contestants were leaked, which Simon Cowell branded as "unacceptable and upsetting" at the time.
Walliams later apologised for his offensive comments but is now suing the production company behind the show, Fremantle, over an alleged data breach in the High Court.
In documents seen by The Mirror, the TV star has claimed that the alleged leak harmed his other projects, writing that the BBC “withdrew the cash for an animation series of his book Gangsta Granny due to negative publicity".
The series centred on his Gangsta Granny books is said to be in development but yet to be commissioned by the broadcaster, with funding partially provided by the corporation prior to his BGT controversy.
BBC have currently adapted seven of his children's books over the past 11 years, with the most recent being Gangsta Granny Strikes Again, starring Walliams, Sheridan Smith, Kevin Bishop and Griff Rhys Jones, released last December.
However, insiders told the publication that his next series is "going into production soon and will be broadcast on the BBC".
Elsewhere documents submitted to the court by Walliams’s lawyer reportedly claim other non-BBC adaptations of his books have been scrapped. They are said to allege that “schools, libraries and shops have removed his books” diminishing his sales and revenue from royalties since the BGT controversy.
Other non book-related projects are also said to have been impacted, including a "travelogue across India on Channel 4."
According to Deadline, the series has been cancelled "entirely" in the wake of the controversy.
The Standard has contacted David Walliams representatives and spokespeople for the BBC and Channel 4 for comment.
The case, which has been lodged against Fremantle Media under the comedian’s real name, David Edward Williams, is listed as dealing with data protection.
The 52-year-old, who had appeared as a judge on the ITV talent programme since 2012, did not return for the show’s latest series earlier this year.
Walliams was replaced by former Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli, who joined the judging panel alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon.
This came after the Little Britain star apologised for making “disrespectful comments" about auditioning contestants during breaks in filming for the popular show in January 2020.
The remarks, made at the London Palladium, first came to light in November 2022 after a transcript was leaked to the Guardian.
It reported that Walliams had used a vulgar term to refer to an older performer three times when he was out of earshot after an unsuccessful audition for the ITV talent show.
He was also alleged to have said about another contestant: “She’s like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f*** them, but you don’t.”
The publication reported that a spokesperson for Thames TV, part of Fremantle Media, had said that though the production company regarded Walliams’ comments as private, his language was “inappropriate".
At the time, ITV said: “We do not condone the language outlined in these allegations, and we have spoken to the producers of Britain’s Got Talent.
“Duty of care towards all participants on any of our programmes is always of paramount importance and we have protocols and guidelines in place for all our production partners.”
