David Walliams' future as a judge on Britain's Got Talent is "very much up in the air", following negative comments he made about contestants.
Reports in The Sun newspaper state that the comedian will be stepping down as a judge on the show after 10 years in the role, first joining in 2012. It comes after Walliams apologised for making "disrespectful comments" about contestants during breaks from filming the hit show.
Despite reports that he's stepping down, a spokesperson for the ITV show stated that no final decision had been made around the 2023 judge line-up. They highlighted that an announcement will be made "in due course".
The spokesperson added, in a statement to PA news agency, that: "The judging panel for Britain’s Got Talent 2023 will be announced in due course. It’s still very much up in the air at the moment on whether David is going to take part in next year’s show.
"No decision, though, has been made as yet.” Walliams joined Britain's Got Talent as a member of the original panel alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon.
It is also understood that no one is currently contracted for the show since auditions in front of judges are not expected to begin for two more months. Earlier this month, Walliams issued an apology after he was reportedly recorded making derogatory remarks and sexually explicit comments about participants in January 2020.
According to a leaked transcript seen by the Guardian, it was understood that Walliams referred to a performer as a "c***" three times when they were a distance away after an unsuccessful audition. During his audition, the contestant attempted to engage in banter with the judges and supposedly took a shot at Walliams.
The transcript also suggests that sexually explicit comments were made in regard to a female contestant after she left the stage. In a statement, Walliams said: “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.” A report from The Guardian states that lawyers for Walliams and Thames TV, the production company behind BGT, argued that the comments were part of a private conversation and were never intended for broadcast.
In a statement, Thames TV said: “Although relating to a private conversation almost three years ago, the language used was inappropriate. Even though it was private, those involved have been spoken to and reminded of their responsibilities and the show’s expectations as to future professional conduct.”
In a statement, 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.”
The Guardian highlighted that Walliams' comments were the only instances of derogatory remarks being made about contestants from the three episodes that were reviewed.
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