David Walliams has quit 'Britain's Got Talent'.
The 51-year-old comedian has sensationally stepped down as a judge on the show after 10 years and programme bosses are already considering potential replacements.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "He hasn’t taken the decision lightly, but it just feels like time to move on."
David is set to announce his departure in the coming weeks.
Another insider said: "David has decided to bow out after a ten-year run. He wants to leave on a high after a wonderful time.
"Being on the show has been a huge source of entertainment and joy for him and he is arguably the most popular member of the panel.
"He hasn’t taken the decision lightly, but it feels like time to move on and focus on his other projects.
"His team have quietly been having conversations over the past few days where it has been made clear that David is readying himself to step down – and then producers will start to think about who might replace him.
“His exit might not be popular with fans who adore him. But for David it appears that now, after an amazing ten years on the show, it is the right time to move on.”
Questions were previously raised about David's future on the show after "disrespectful comments" he made about 'BGT' contestants in a recording of an audition show at the London Palladium in January 2020 were leaked, prompting him to apologise.
According to a leaked transcript, he called one contestant a "****".
Of another, he said: "She’s like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f*** them, but you don’t."
He reiterated: "She thinks you want to f*** her, but you don’t."
The 'Little Britain' star then added: "I know, she’s just like, ‘Oh, f*** off!’ I was saying, she thinks you want to f*** her, but you don’t. It’s the last thing on your mind, but she’s like, ‘Yep, I bet you do!’ ‘No I don’t!’ "
David insisted the conversations were "never intended to be shared", but he did issue an apology.
He said in a statement: "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."
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