David Walliams has settled his lawsuit against Fremantle, makers of Britain’s Got Talent, after he was forced off the show following the publication of comments he made during the judging panel.
The 52-year-old resigned as a judge on the ITV show last November after a recording of him making offensive comments about contestants was leaked.
He has now agreed to a settlement reportedly ‘well below’ the £10 million he was seeking. MailOnline understands the figure is comfortably less than £5 million.
Fremantle had to accept that their security procedures had failed, allowing Walliams’ comments to be leaked to the Guardian, hence the decision to settle.
Sources indicate that many of his other arguments ‘failed’, leading to a relatively modest settlement equivalent to around a year’s salary – around £1 million.
David Walliams has settled his lawsuit against Fremantle, makers of Britain’s Got Talent
Secret talks took place last week, shortly after the comedian launched legal proceedings claiming he had been ‘spied on’ during his ten years on the show
The former Little Britain star is said to have claimed in court documents that producers ‘recorded, transcribed and preserved’ all of his conversations during his ten-year stint.
A spokesperson for Freemantle said: “We are pleased to have reached an amicable resolution to this dispute with David. We sincerely apologize that his private conversations during a jury interview on Britain’s Got Talent were published and the great distress this has caused David.
“We have reviewed our production practices on the show to ensure they fully respect the expectations of our talent while meeting the demands of the show. We have had a good relationship with David for years.
‘We thank David for being such an important part of the Britain’s Got Talent family and the show’s continued success and hope to have the opportunity to work with him in the future.’
Secret talks took place last week shortly after the comedian launched legal proceedings alleging he had been ‘spyed on’ during his 10 years on the show, The Sun reported on Sunday.
A source told the publication that last week’s meeting ended with a “willingness on both sides to avoid a lawsuit.”
The former judge resigned from the ITV show last November after a recording of him making offensive comments about contestants was leaked.
“The specific details of the talks are being kept secret for obvious reasons, but an agreement is not far away.”
The former Little Britain star is said to have claimed in court documents that producers ‘recorded, transcribed and preserved’ all of his conversations during his ten-year stint and that he had no idea his microphone was ‘on and recording’ all day. of filming.
Walliams, who reportedly wants £10 million, claims 1,700 hours of audio recordings have been collected, including a personal conversation with fellow judges Alesha Dixon, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden about the impact of his father’s death.
He has also said that since his discharge he had suffered from severe depression and had “active thoughts of suicide.”
In a statement on Friday, November 24, Fremantle said they were “saddened” by the legal action and “remain open to resolving this matter amicably.”
The star was recorded on a hot mic during an audition show at the London Palladium, with an older contestant shouting ‘c***’ three times as they left the stage.
He also claimed that another participant would think he wanted to ‘fuck’ her. As she walked onto the stage he muttered, ‘She’s like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub and think you want to fuck them, but you don’t…
In High Court documents released last month, his lawyers argued the comments were part of a private conversation not intended for broadcast.
“It’s the last thing on your mind, but she says, ‘Yeah, I bet you do!’ ‘No, I won’t!’ I had a bit of a hard-on, but now it’s okay, it’s shriveling in my body now.’ Walliams had publicly apologized when the recordings were first published by The Guardian last year.
In High Court documents released last month, his lawyers argued the comments were part of a private conversation not intended for broadcast. Lawyers for Thames TV, the production company behind BGT, agreed.
The court documents also revealed that he received a letter from The Guardian about his leaked audio last year, months before he was offered a new contract with BGT.
Walliams claimed the letter published was the first time he realized Fremantle was “collecting and storing far more of his personal information than he had understood.”
However, a Fremantle source said the show’s judges knew they were being recorded at all times, adding to the publication: ‘It seems slightly bizarre given that it was widely reported in 2018 that any comments the judges made at the desk would be included. , even if they didn’t speak to the participants.’
Walliams’ lawyers say he accepted the job offer 18 days after The Guardian’s November 10, 2022 article was published.
However, Fremantle withdrew the offer on December 14 as Walliams claimed it was ‘in response to the publication’ of the article.
A Fremantle spokesperson 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.”
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