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Amanda Holden has spoken of her sadness over David Walliams’ departure from Britain’s Got Talent, insisting she and fellow show judge Alesha Dixon still ‘love’ the comedian.
Prankster David, 52, decided to quit the ITV talent show after being forced to apologize in 2022 for describing an older contestant as a ‘c***’.
He is now suing his former bosses on the show and has reportedly accused London-based Fremantle, which produces the reality series, of an unlawful data protection breach.
And while Amanda, 52, has hinted that David and his former boss Simon Cowell may not be on the best terms, she insists he still has a special place in her heart.
She said The sun: ‘We love David. Well, Alesha and I love David.
Missing her boyfriend: Amanda Holden, 52, has spoken of her sadness over David Walliams’ departure from Britain’s Got Talent (pictured this month)
Departed: Funnyman David, 52, decided to quit the ITV talent competition after being forced to apologize in 2022 for describing an older contestant as a ‘c***’ (pictured this month)
‘It was sad when he went. I’m in contact with him. Always. We always support David.”
It comes after Britain’s Got Talent insiders said David was ‘warned about his behaviour’ before his derogatory comments about the show’s contestants were made public – which resulted in his departure.
According to court documents, bosses were ‘aware of his controversial comments about contestants when they offered him a £1 million contact’ – but insiders have since dismissed those claims.
A BGT source told MailOnline: ‘What David said was completely unacceptable and he was warned about his behaviour.
“This whole summons is frankly bizarre. There are some statements in there that seem unusual, but there was certainly no contract ready to be signed and sealed.”
A source at Fremantle said this The guard that the show’s judges knew their conversations were being recorded, adding: “It seems somewhat bizarre considering it was widely reported in 2018 that any comments the judges made at the desk would be recorded, even if they weren’t speaking with participants.’
A Fremantle spokesperson previously said: “We have had a long and productive relationship with David and are therefore surprised and saddened by this legal action.
“For our part, we remain available and open to dialogue to resolve this matter amicably. But in the meantime, we will investigate the various allegations and are prepared to defend ourselves vigorously if necessary.”
Judges: Although Amanda hints that David and his former boss Simon Cowell may not be on the best terms, she insists he still has a special place in her heart with herself and Alesha Dixon (L-R: Britain’s Got Talent judges David, Simon, Amanda and Alesha pictured in January last year)
It comes after David’s doctor revealed the terrifying toll the effects of BGT had taken on the former judge.
In September, ten months after quitting his £1.5million-a-year role as judge, it was revealed that David is suing his former bosses at Britain’s Got Talent, seeking significant damages.
Court documents seen by The sun have now revealed the worrying impact the ordeal had on David’s mental health as he left the jury after a 10-year stint.
His psychiatrist Dr Mark Collins wrote that the TV star was suffering from suicidal thoughts and the documents show he suffered a nervous breakdown, the newspaper claimed.
The doctor increased doses of medications for anxiety, insomnia and depression as his symptoms worsened, it was said.
The documents allegedly read: “He is plagued by uncontrollable negative thoughts, including active thoughts of suicide.”
The newspaper also revealed that Walliams was taking a plethora of medications, including escitalopram (for depression), alprazolam (also known as Xanax, for anxiety) and quetiapine (for insomnia).
Warning: Britain’s Got Talent insiders say Davids was ‘warned about his behaviour’ before his derogatory comments about the show’s contestants were made public – which resulted in his departure
Collins reportedly said in a report that the leaking of the transcripts “has had a profound, serious and at times deeply worrying effect on his mental health,” with David suffering from sleep problems and negative thoughts.
Fremantle told The Sun: “We have had a long and productive relationship with David and are therefore surprised and saddened by this legal action.
“For our part, we remain available and open to dialogue to resolve this matter amicably.
“But in the meantime, we will investigate the various allegations and are prepared to defend ourselves vigorously if necessary.”
According to the Supreme Court writ, David allegedly accuses Fremantle of recording, transcribing and keeping private conversations for ten years.
He has reportedly claimed that his microphone was kept on and recorded all day during filming, including when he went to the toilet.
It is alleged that Fremantle produced and retained transcripts of the audio recordings, which David claims contained private information ‘not relevant to the production’ – such as conversations about his marriage, sex life and family disputes.
The transcripts reportedly include 1,700 hours of audio recordings over a ten-year period, as well as 41,526 hours of visual recordings from 191 days of filming.
Lawsuit: David (pictured in 2019) has reportedly accused London-based Fremantle, which produces the reality series for ITV, of an unlawful data protection breach
A copy of the transcripts was also said to have been made available to Simon Cowell’s co-producer Syco upon request, but a source told The Sun that it was never requested.
“All four judges regularly joked using crude and/or sexual language: that was the culture among the judges on the show,” his lawyers alleged.
They claimed that the judges made such jokes to entertain themselves during long days of filming and that the comments were never intended to be made public as they were “private conversations between adult friends.”
David is reportedly claiming £1 million that he would receive from Britain’s Got Talent, as well as £1.7 million in lost earnings and £3.4 million to cover future losses for at least two years – a total of £6.1 million.
But sources reportedly claimed this could rise to as much as £10million as David is reportedly seeking unspecified damages for psychiatric damage, fear and distress, loss of control of his private information and legal costs.
David’s earnings reportedly fell from £3.7 million in 2022 to just £101,800 in the first five months of 2023, according to court papers seen by The Sun.
Drama: He was also heard calling a female contestant a ‘slightly boring girl you meet in the pub and think you want to fuck them but you don’t’. Comedian Clare Harrison Mccartney (pictured in 2020) later claimed these comments were about her, but producers denied it
The scandal also heard David belittle a female contestant, calling her a ‘slightly boring girl who you meet in the pub and think you want to fuck them but you don’t’.
Comedian Clare Harrison Mccartney later claimed these comments were about her and branded David a ‘sad misogynist’, but producers denied the comments were directed at her.
Bruno Tonioli later took over as a jury member on the talent show and signed a big-money deal.
The comments, made in January 2020 during auditions at the London Palladium, were picked up by the programme’s microphones.
He and his lawyers argued at the time that they were private conversations never intended for broadcast, but two weeks later he was deposed.
In one incident, an older performer engaged in light-hearted banter with the judges, making a joke about Walliams, The Guardian claimed.
After the audition, the pensioner left, after which Walliams allegedly described him as a ‘c**t’ three times.
In a separate incident, after a female contestant left the stage, Walliams commented: ‘She’s like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub who thinks you want to fuck them but you don’t.’ He later added, “I know, she just says, ‘Oh, fuck off!’ I said, she thinks you want to fuck her, but you don’t.
“It’s the last thing on your mind, but she says, ‘Yeah, I bet you do!’
‘No, I don’t! I was a bit ab***r, but now I’m fine, it’s shriveled up in my body now.’