Former Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams has reached a settlement with the show's producers, Fremantle, following a legal dispute.
The comedian, 52, who appeared on the ITV talent show between 2012 and 2022, was suing the company a for misuse of private information and for breaching UK General Data Protection Regulation (UKGDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
High Court documents released last month said the Little Britain star was accusing the company of causing him psychiatric harm and financial loss.
The TV star, real name David Edward Williams, left Britain’s Got Talent last year after he apologised for making “disrespectful comments” about auditioning contestants during filming breaks in January 2020 at the London Palladium.
He was recorded referring to one contestant as a "c***", saying of another: "She thinks you want to f*** her, but you don't."
The remarks came to light in November 2022 after a transcript was leaked to the Guardian.
David claims he was unaware that his comments might have been recorded and transcribed, accusing Fremantle of violating data protection regulations.
However, sources highlighted that in April 2018, BGT announced all cameras "would now be rolling 24/7".
BGT now acknowledges that their security systems could have been more robust in preventing the leak.
David has now received an apology from Fremantle, the show's producers, along with what is rumoured to be a "substantial" payout.
However, reports of a "multi-million payment" are not accurate, according to sources.
A spokesperson for Fremantle stated: "We are pleased that we have achieved an amicable resolution of this dispute with David. We are sincerely sorry that his private conversations when a judge on Britain's Got Talent were published, and the great distress this caused David."
"We have reviewed our production practices on the show to ensure they fully respect the expectations of our talent whilst satisfying the requirements of the show."
"We have enjoyed a great relationship with David over many years. We thank David for being an important part of the Britain's Got Talent family and the enduring success of the show and hope to have opportunities to work with him in the future."
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