Simon Cowell addresses David Walliams' 'completely unacceptable' comments that led to BGT exit

Simon Cowell has spoken out about the 'unacceptable' comments David Walliams made ahead of his departure from Britain's Got Talent.

Walliams left the ITV show last year after a decade on the judging panel, when it emerged he'd made personal comments about some of the contestants during auditions at the London Palladium in January 2020.

The comedian later apologised for his comments, saying in a statement they were 'private conversations and – like most conversations with friends – were never intended to be shared'.

He's now been replaced by Bruno Tonioli, and as the latest series of Britain's Got Talent got underway this weekend Cowell spoke out about the departure of the former judge.

Despite being the creator of the show, Cowell told The Sun he 'didn’t really get involved in the decision' for Walliams to leave.

ITV

"From what I understand, he decided to take a step back," Cowell continued.

“It all happened relatively quickly. I was on holiday and then the next thing is I’m having conversations about who’s going to take his place."

Cowell explained that he'd had conversations with two producers about making the 'final decision' because they were 'more hands on', though he stressed that 'everyone had some input'.

"The network, the producers Fremantle, all of us said at the time, these comments are completely unacceptable," Cowell continued.

"I had not heard them before and, yeah, it was upsetting. But from where I’m sitting, this wasn’t something I believe was ­constant.

"Most of the time David seemed very respectful and emotional about the contestants and was doing everything that a judge should be doing on a show like this."

A leaked transcript of the comments seen by The Guardian claimed Walliams had called one contestant a 'c***' after they appeared on the show, and described another as being someone who 'thinks you want to f**k her, but you don’t'.

ITV

Cowell said he and Walliams 'had a conversation' after the comments came to light, adding: "But you know, he owned what he said, he wasn’t proud of what he said. This is not something that I would ever condone.”

In a statement at the time, producer Thames TV said: "Although relating to a private conversation almost three years ago, the language used was inappropriate.

"Even though it was private, those involved have been spoken to and reminded of their responsibilities and the show’s expectations as to future professional conduct."

Tonioli made his first appearance as a judge on BGT on Saturday (15 April), with Cowell saying the new judge is a 'completely natural fit' for the show.