David Walliams' departure from Britain's Got Talent in 2022 may have been hastened by a deliberate leak of his private remarks, according to discussion on The Rest is Entertainment podcast. Marina Hyde suggested that people within the show were seeking to remove the comedian from the judging panel.
Leaked recordings and their aftermath
Walliams, 55, left the ITV programme after recordings of his private conversations about contestants emerged. During filming breaks at the London Palladium, he made derogatory remarks, including referring to a contestant with an expletive and saying of another: "She thinks you want to f*** her, but you don't."
On the podcast, hosted by Hyde and broadcaster Richard Osman, Hyde questioned whether the leak was accidental: "Did we also know that people were trying to get rid of him?" She added: "Operatives, I don't know who and I don't know at what level... who leaked those comments? They were trying to get rid, someone at some level in Britain's Got Talent was trying to get rid of him."
Legal action and settlement
Walliams subsequently took legal action against the show's production company, Fremantle, over the disclosure of the recordings. He brought a High Court claim in 2023, accusing the company of misuse of private information and breaches of data protection laws. The dispute was settled later that year.
Reflecting on the decision to sue, Hyde said: "Those comments were leaked, they dropped him and rather than leave that - which you might have thought, you are a hugely bestselling author, perhaps why would you wish to excavate it? - he sued them in the High Court in 2023. He clearly thought they had leaked it deliberately. Eventually they settled amicably. I can assure you that would not have been at all amicable on either side."
Judging panel changes and other allegations
Walliams had been a judge on Britain's Got Talent for ten years, joining in 2012 alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon. After his departure, he was replaced by Italian television personality and Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli in 2023.
Tonioli's time on the panel ended in 2026 after scheduling conflicts, with YouTuber and musician KSI stepping in as a judge. The ITV entertainment competition remains a major fixture in the broadcaster's schedule and is expected to return next year. Separately, Walliams has faced allegations that he used his celebrity status to pursue vulnerable teenagers and young women for sex, which he denies.
