David Walliams cites suicidal thoughts after Britain’s Got Talent scandal

David Walliams had suicidal thoughts after being dropped from Britain’s Got Talent, following leaked audio which saw him exit the show, according to legal papers filed in the UK gainst producers Fremantle.

Walliams is reportedly seeking £1m (AU$1.92m) earnings he would have received from BGT, as well as £1.7m (AU$3.26m) in lost earnings and £3.4m (AU$6.52m) covering future losses for at least two years, bringing the total damages sought to £6.1m (AU$11.7m).

In the leaked recordings from the set Walliams called one contestant “the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f*** them, but you don’t”.

He said: “She thinks you want to f*** her, but you don’t. It’s the last thing on your mind, but she’s like, ‘Yep, I bet you do!’ ‘No, I don’t!’ I had a bit of a boner, but now it’s going, it’s now shrivelled up inside my body.”

Walliams also called a pensioner, who was auditioning, a “c***” three times while the man was walking off stage.

Walliams apologised for the comments at the time, 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. Nevertheless, I am sorry.”

He then officially exited the talent show in January 2023 replaced by Bruno Tonioli.

According to press, lodged High Court papers claim he has been having “active suicidal thoughts” since leaving the show, and has “lost the ability to be funny” due to fears about his comments being leaked without his consent.

The lawsuit details how Walliams has suffered “a return of severe depression, including suicidal thoughts”.

He said the leak of the transcripts “has had a profound, severe and, at times, very worrying effect on his mental health”.

Walliams has “severe problems with his sleep” and “is plagued by uncontrollable negative thoughts”, including “active suicidal thoughts”.

Walliams also reportedly accuses Fremantle of recording, transcribing and retaining private conversations for a decade.

According to the paper, he alleges that, without his knowledge at the time, his microphone was kept on and recorded throughout the entire day during filming, including when he went to the bathroom.

Fremantle said, “We had a long and productive relationship with David and so are surprised and saddened by this legal action.

“For our part, we remain available and open to dialogue to resolve this matter amicably.

“However, in the interim, we will examine the various allegations and are prepared to robustly defend ourselves if necessary.”

Updated: Fremantle has reached an “amicable resolution” with former host David Walliams following the leaked audio that led to his leaving the show.

“We have reviewed our production practices on the show to ensure they fully respect the expectations of our talent whilst satisfying the requirements of the show,” added Fremantle. “We thank David for being an important part of the Britain’s Got Talent family and the enduring success of the show and hope to have opportunities to work with him in the future.”

Source: Independent

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