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The moment David Walliams’ career started to unravel: Shamed comic was caught making sexually explicit remarks about BGT contestants on mic before stepping down as judge
David Walliams’s departure from Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 followed the publication of recordings in which he made derogatory and sexually explicit comments about contestants. The article presents that scandal as an early turning point in his career, which has since faced renewed scrutiny after allegations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls became public. Walliams denies criminal wrongdoing and says he is not a sexual predator.
The recordings were made during breaks at 2020 auditions at the London Palladium; Walliams later apologised and sued the programme’s producers, alleging they had recorded about 1,700 hours of his conversations without his knowledge. The case ended in an “amicable resolution”, with the production company apologising for the recordings becoming public. The article also says investigations into later allegations began in 2022 and 2023; a HarperCollins inquiry concluded in 2024 without consequences for Walliams, though one employee reportedly received a five-figure payout and left the company.
In short
- Walliams left Britain’s Got Talent after private remarks about contestants were published.
- He apologised and reached an amicable resolution with the show’s producers.
- Separate allegations have since prompted renewed scrutiny; he denies criminal wrongdoing.
Explained simply
Britain’s Got Talent is a television competition in which performers audition for a panel of judges, including comedian and author David Walliams, who joined the show in 2012. Judges comment on acts and help decide which contestants progress, so remarks made about them can draw public attention.
The recordings mentioned in the story came from breaks during auditions at the London Palladium in 2020. Walliams later apologised for his comments and brought a legal case against the programme’s production company over the recording and release of his conversations; the case ended with an amicable resolution. The story also refers to later allegations, which Walliams denies.