David Walliams was seen raising his head in public for the first time since he shockingly “quit” Britain’s Got Talent just weeks ago.
The comic, 51, was spotted on Sunday on a trip to the theatre with his mum Kathleen after it was reported that the comedian had stepped down from his role as a judge.
The actor looked in good spirits enjoyed a gala performance of the Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty at Salder’s Wells Theatre in London.
He appeared to shrug off his troubles as he dressed up in a smart check blazer, black shirt and trousers for the outing.
He posed for snaps with his mum, who looked lovely in a star print cotton dress, before smiling for pictures with fellow guest Bruno Tonioli and choreographer Matthew Bourne.
Walliams, 51, was reported to have quit the show following remarks he made while recording in 2020, but he has yet to confirm he will leave after 10 years, leaving his BGT future in doubt.
He is expected to stand down after it emerged he called an elderly contestant a “c***” several times while off-air in January 2020 as he was filming auditions at the London Palladium.
The children’s author also said of a young female contestant: “She’s like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f*** them, but you don’t… It’s the last thing on your mind, but she’s like, ‘Yep, I bet you do!’”
The comments were picked up on the show’s microphones and revealed last month.
A show spokesman said at the time: “The judging panel will be announced in due course. It’s still very much up in the air on whether David is going to take part.”
The Sun reported David had officially left the show, after offensive remarks he made about contestants were leaked to the public.
Walliams’ expected departure from BGT has sparked a frantic search for a suitable replacement.
Show bosses are said to favour a male comedian because Walliams’ constant banter with head judge Simon Cowell was a huge part of the appeal.
Alan Carr, who is best pals with panellist Amanda Holden, is a frontrunner, along with comedian Mo Gilligan, Top Gear's Paddy McGuinness and chat show show Jonathan Ross.
Other favourites in the running to replace him for the 2023 series include Love Island narrator Iain Stirling and comedians Mo Gilligan and Joe Lycett.
One insider said: “They are after a male judge who needs to be funny. David leaves a big hole to fill and they need to get this right. The future of the show could depend on it.”
It was reported last month that David wants to “leave on a high”.
A pal said: “He hasn’t taken the decision lightly, but it feels like time to focus on other projects.”
After David's comments in 2020 were made available to the public, Simon refused to confirm whether the comedian would be returning to the next series.
"Ask me in a few weeks," he responded when quizzed on the matter by the Daily Star.
