David Walliams’ life growing up in Surrey as BGT star ‘sues bosses’
Surrey’s David Walliams is understood to have entered into a legal battle with bosses of Britain’s Got Talent a year on from the star’s exit from the ITV show’s judging panel. David who grew up in Banstead[1] - has sued BGT heads and is said to be seeking ‘significant damages’ after his “forced resignation”[2], The Mirror[3] reported Walliams -
The paper claimed the former judge has accused production company Fremantle of a 'data protection breach'. This is over leaked transcripts of “disrespectful comments” from the former judge that led to the comedian-turned-children’s author leaving the show.
Walliams has now reportedly hired legal powerhouse, Brandsmiths, who specialise in data protection breaches and lodged papers at London’s High Court under his real name, David Edward Williams. Lawyers who represent the 52-year-old have argued the comments - which Walliams has apologised for - were part of a private conversation and not meant for the public.
Britain's Got Talent star David Walliams went to school in Reigate (Image: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
David Walliams was born in Wimbledon and grew up in Banstead, north of Redhill[6] and east of Leatherhead[7]. The Little Britain star attended Reigate Grammar School in his youth[8], which he left in 1989.
In a 2015 interview with the school[9], the star commented that he had been “blessed with a few great teachers at Reigate[10] Grammar School”. He even singled out English teacher Mr George Paxton, who taught him Shakespeare, as “the one that stands out the most”. He said in the interview: "When I wrote my autobiography 20 years later I realised I could remember his English classes in huge detail and what enormous fun they were. Every lesson we laughed as we learned."
After his time in Reigate[11], Walliams would study at the University of Bristol and perform with the National Youth Theatre, which was where he met his future comedy partner Matt Lucas. It was around this time that he changed his stage name to Walliams (his real surname is Williams), reportedly because there was another David Williams who was already a member of the actors' union Equity when he signed up.
David visited his old school on a number of occasions, bringing Matt Lucas with him in 2005 to talk about his work in comedy (the pair are well-known for their performances in Little Britain and Come Fly with Me), and again for a solo visit in 2012 for ‘an evening with David Walliams’.
David's’ father, Peter Williams, was a London Transport engineer and his mother, Kathleen, a laboratory technician at Sutton Grammar School.
David and joined the BGT judging panel in 2012 alongside alongside Simon Cowell, 63, Amanda Holden, 52, and Alesha Dixon, 44 but left towards the end of 2022 because he felt it “was time to move on and focus on his other projects”. His exit came after he had been forced to apologise when audio of him making comments towards BGT contestants, reportedly made during filming at the London Palladium in 2020, leaked.
It was alleged that David described a contestant using a disrespectful slur. This resulted in a mass of headlines and sparked a wave of criticism. Soon after, it was announced the comedian would be stepping down from his position on Britain’s Got Talent.
David apologised for the “disrespectful comments” made during filming breaks. In a statement, he said: “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 now appears to be suing the show’s bosses over the scandal and will enter a court battle with BGT production company, Fremantle, over the situation.
The Mirror has contacted David Walliams’ representatives for comment in relation to the case. This page will be updated if a statement is received.
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References
- ^ Banstead (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ “forced resignation” (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ The Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Popular Redhill theatre and cinema closed and performances called off (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Surrey’s Japanese Knotweed hotspots mapped as invasive plant infestations soar (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Redhill (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Leatherhead (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Reigate Grammar School in his youth (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ 2015 interview with the school (www.reigategrammar.org)
- ^ Reigate (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Reigate (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ HERE. (www.getsurrey.co.uk)