Jill O'Rourke
Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
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| April 24, 2023 SIGN IN TO SAVE POST
Dave J HoganReading Time: 2 minutes
Simon Cowell has broken his silence on his fellow judge David Walliams’ controversial comments about Britain’s Got Talent contestants. Cowell called the remarks, which were made public last year, “unacceptable.”
Simon Cowell Breaks Silence on David Walliams BGT Controversy
Last November, derogatory comments Walliams made about BGT contestants during filming in 2020 were made public. Walliams apologized for the remarks and ended up leaving the show after 10 years on the judging panel. He was replaced by new judge Bruno Tonioli.
Cowell recently opened up to The Sun about the controversy and Walliams’ departure, saying Walliams’ comments went against the “ethos” of BGT and were “completely unacceptable.” However, he added that the controversial remarks weren’t something he was used to hearing from Walliams.
“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,” Cowell said. “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.”
SEE ALSO: SIMON COWELL SAYS ‘CHAOTIC’ NEW SEASON OF ‘BGT’ HAS EIGHT GOLDEN BUZZERS
Cowell Says Walliams Chose to Leave the Show
Cowell also told The Sun about Walliams’ departure from the show, saying, “I didn’t really get involved in the decision. From what I understand, he decided to take a step back.” He added that everything “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 recalled. “We did say to the two producers: ‘You have to make the final decision’ because, yeah, I am an exec producer, but they’re more hands on.”
BGT is currently airing Series 16, with Cowell returning to the panel alongside Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and new judge Tonioli. Fans have already seen both Tonioli and Cowell hit the Golden Buzzer.
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