Former “Britain’s Got Talent” judge David Walliams has filed a lawsuit against Fremantle, the show’s producer, after departing from the series last year amid controversy.
The suit, filed last week, is classified as dealing with data protection, according to the BBC. No further details have been revealed at this time.
The filing comes months after the longtime judge for the ITV show, who has also risen to prominence as an actor, comedian and author, exited the show last November when the Guardian reported that Walliams had made sexually explicit remarks about two contestants, according to a leaked transcript.
The recordings trace back to 2020 taping, during which Walliams allegedly calls one contestant a “c–t” and while referring to another by saying, “she thinks you want to f–k her, but you don’t.”
Following the leak, Walliams apologized for his “disrespectful comments” in a statement, saying “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,” the TV personality continued at the time. “Nevertheless, I am sorry.”
At the time, FremantleMedia’s Thames TV confirmed that Fremantle identified Walliams’ comments as private, but said his remarks referring to the contestants were “inappropriate,” according to the BBC.
A representative for Walliams did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment. Fremantle declined to comment.
Since Walliams’s departure in November, Fremantle announced that former Bruno Tonioli, a former judge on “Strictly Come Dancing,” would be joining the 2023 season of “Britain’s Got Talent.”
During his time as a judge on “Britain’s Got Talent” from 2012-2022, Walliams was recognized with the best judge award at the National Television Awards in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020. He has also published several books, including “Gangsta Granny” and “The Boy in the Dress.”
