Fremantle faces legal action from former ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge David Walliams

Britain’s Got Talent. David Walliams is pictured far left

Fremantle is being sued by UK comedian and TV personality David Walliams, former judge on its ITV competition show Britain’s Got Talent.

According to a filing at the London High Court, the action is listed as dealing with data protection and has been lodged against Fremantle label Thames, which produces the long-running and popular talent show.

Walliams served as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent for a decade, from 2012 to 2022, but did not return for the latest season, following an investigation by The Guardian newspaper that found he had made “disrespectful comments” about contestants on the show.

At the time, a spokesperson for Thames said that Walliams’ comments were “inappropriate” and he released a statement in which he apologised.

“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 wrote.

Walliams, the co-creator of BBC comedy Little Britain, nevertheless exited the show and was replaced by Bruno Tonioli on the judging panel for the most recent season of Britain’s Got Talent.

Fremantle declined to comment.